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Oneota
Oneota is a term that archaeologists use to classify a Late Mississippian group of native American peoples inhabiting the upper Midwest region of the United States from about 900-1650 AD. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and parts of Canada all have sites related to the Oneota tradition. According to the archaeological artifacts, the Oneota culture encompasses a huge area; “Oneota ceramics seem to be distributed, approximately, across the central third of North America below the sub-arctic zone” (Staek)
With such a large area in which to try to piece the Oneota cultural complex together, Archaeologists have come to rely chiefly on ceramics and pottery traits to classify Oneota sites. Oneota pottery is often unmistakable, vessels having a number of common features, including, “globular shape, rounded bottoms, constricted necks, and flared rims” (Tiffany.) In addition, decoration is also an important factor in the determination of Oneota pottery, “Shoulder areas may have geometric elements, including variously sized lines and trails, punctuates, and finger impressions” (Tiffany).
Although not as diagnostic as pottery types, other artifacts are also used to classify Oneota sites; “Small un-notched triangular projectile points, end scrapers, knives, gravers, perforators, and drills etc...” may also represent Oneota tradition. (Tiffany).
Although the Oneota tradition has been given a starting date between 900-1000 AD, there is a great deal of speculation as to the origins of the Oneota. For the most part, archaeologist are divided into two different schools of thought concerning the beginnings of Oneota culture. One theory is that the Oneota culture developed from the migration of peoples from Cahokia in Illinois based mainly on the striking similarities of pottery design. The other theory is that the Oneota developed from previous upper Midwest inhabitants, who through trade and diffusion, adopted Mississippian culture and integrated parts of it, (like pottery design,) into their own existing culture. Again pottery traits are used to support this point of view.
So much emphasis is placed on ceramics in Oneota studies, that it can be quite a baffling subject. At present, archaeologists remain divided as to what exactly the differences and similarities (which can be quite subtle at times,) actually represent. Its possible that the differences and similarities of pottery sherds from different archaeological sites may suggest trade, or even clan differences. Archaeological sites do show evidence of interaction with other people who were part of other group continuities. In short, specific Oneota groups may have used a specific region for an extended amount of time or returned to an area or specific locale seasonally “but they also traveled and interacted in areas far outside of this “home region” area...this interaction and migration may account for subtle changes within the culture as it evolved” (Henning, Oneota Archaeology.)
The subsistence strategy of the Oneota relied upon maize horticulture. As to how important and how large the actual contribution of maize was to the Oneota, archaeologists disagree. It has been suggested that maize constituted a large part of the Oneota diet in some areas, while in others, maize was only a small component of the Oneota diet, supplementing fishing, hunting, and gathering.
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