| Of Adena and Hopewell |
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| Two of the great North American pre-Columbian cultures were the Adena and the Hopewell. The Adena existed from maybe 1000 B.C. to 100 A.D. The Hopewell existed from maybe 200 B.C. to 500 A.D. Despite disputes of dates the cultures existed, most experts agree that there is a period when both cultures coexisted in the same area. They both built mounds, practiced part time agriculture, had trading networks, created hand made pottery and had a sphere of influence that was greatest in the Middle Ohio River Valley (Southern Ohio especially). The Adena are named because of an excavation on an estate named Adena. The Hopewell are named because of an excavation on a farm owned by a man named Hopewell. So what is the difference? In a nutshell, the Hopewell were more advanced. Bigger trading networks. More complex earthworks. More sophisticated artifacts. The Adena had rolled copper bracelets, slate gorgets, and mica crescents. The Hopewell had obsidian, copper ear spools, copper gorgets, pearl beads and mica cutouts. One of the easiest distinctions is pipes. The Adena had tubular pipes and the Hopewell had platform effigy pipes. What some consider the most famous artifact of the Adena is the pipe below. Now, take a close look at the pipe. The pipe is tubular and was recovered from an Adena mound. But, the pipe is an effigy and has spool ear rings, both of which are Hopewell characteristics. I currently own a VCR and DVD player. Previously I only owned a VCR and in the future I will probably only own a DVD player. But for now, I own both. Am I from the VCR culture or the DVD culture? Answer: BOTH. Maybe the Hopewell came from someplace else, Illinois or New York. Or maybe they evolved from the Adena. Or maybe they borrowed from the Adena. Maybe individuals or communities had characteristics of both cultures. Distinguishing between the two often enters a gray zone. Rather than try to draw conclusions based on general parameters, I think that sometimes it is best to draw conclusions on a case by case example. |
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