Mississippian Communities in the Northern Yazoo Basin

Abstract

This chapter introduces the study of Mississippian communities by reviewing archaeological evidence for Mississippi period sites; social organization and worldview among Mississippian people and their descendants; and theoretical approaches to understanding the nature of human action and constraints on that action. It also reviews what we know of Mississippi period settlement in the northern Yazoo Basin, including the Parchman phase and nearby phases, some of which have been identified as Soto-era provinces or polities. Finally, this chapter provides an overview of archaeological work done at Parchman Place in order to establish what we know of the site’s physical layout and chronology. This includes a description of surface collections, mapping, excavation, and geophysical survey conducted at the site. The radiocarbon (C14) chronology from excavated contexts at Parchman Place is also presented.