History of Indiana - Early Civilizations

Early Civilizations

Following the end of the last glacial period, Indiana's topography was dominated by spruce and pine forests and was home to mastodon, caribou, and saber-toothed cats. While Northern Indiana had been covered by glaciers, Southern Indiana remained unaltered by the ice's advance, leaving plants and animals that could sustain human communities. Indiana's earliest known inhabitants were Paleo-Indians. Evidence exists that humans were in Indiana as early as the Archaic stage (8000–6000 BC). Hunting camps of the nomadic Clovis culture have been found in Indiana. Carbon dating of artifacts found in the Wyandotte Caves of Southern Indiana shows humans mined flint there as early 2000 BC. These nomads may have enjoyed the large supply of freshwater mussels in Indiana's streams, and may have built the shell mounds found throughout southern Indiana.

The Early Woodland period in Indiana is generally dated between 1000 BC and 200 AD. The society of this time is known as the Adena culture, named for the estate in Ohio where its artifacts were first discovered. The Adena culture was noted for domesticating wild squash and making pottery, which were large cultural advances over the Clovis culture. The Early Woodland period also saw the natives' introduction of early burial mounds. The oldest mounds in Indiana date from this era, including the oldest earthwork in Anderson's Mounds State Park.

Humans of the Middle Woodland period were of the Hopewell culture and may have been in Indiana as early as 200 BC. The Hopewells were the first culture to create permanent settlements in Indiana. About 1 AD, the Hopewells mastered agriculture and grew crops of sunflowers and squash. Around 200 AD, the Hopewells began to construct mounds that are believed to have been used for ceremonial and burial purposes. Most modern knowledge of the Hopewells has come from excavation of these mounds. The artifacts in the mounds show the Hopewells in Indiana were connected by trade to other native tribes as far away as Central America. For unknown reasons, the Hopewell culture went into decline around 400 and completely disappeared by 500.

The Late Woodland era is generally considered to have begun about 600 AD and lasted until the arrival of Europeans in Indiana. It was a period of rapid cultural change. One of the new developments—which has yet to be explained—was the introduction of masonry, shown by the construction of large, stone forts, many of which overlook the Ohio River. Romantic legend used to attribute the forts to Welsh Indians who supposedly arrived centuries before Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean. Archaeologists and other scholars, however, believe that the cultural development was due to the arrival of the Mississippians.