Physical modifications to late prehistoric plazas in the southeast U.S.

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Earthen modifications to create level plaza areas at mound sites in the Southeast U.S. date back to the late Woodland period and appear to have been substantial community investments. The presence of extensive plaza alterations indicate that these spaces were architectural elements central to the design layout. This requirement for a centralized level landscape may have possessed an inherent meaning to the population while also serving to integrate the activities of the community. The research herein explores the modification of the plaza area at Moundville with the intent to show how the transformation of plaza areas was integral to the social relations in emerging complex societies of the Southeast.