Editing Five Civilized Tribes (section)

===First to 18th century===
Based on the development of surplus foods from cultivation, Mississippian towns had more dense populations, and they developed artisan classes, and [[Inheritance|hereditary]] religious and political elites. The Mississippian culture flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from 800 to 1500 CE. Agriculture was the primary economic pursuit. The bulk of the tribes lived in towns, some covering hundreds of acres and populated with thousands of people. They were known for building large, complex earthwork mounds. These communities regulated their space with planned streets, subdivided into residential and public areas. Their system of government was hereditary. [[Chiefdom]]s were of varying size and complexity, with high levels of military organization.<ref name="Smith2000">{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=C.R. |title=The Native People of North America: Southeast Culture Area |url=https://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_soeast.html |publisher=Cabrillo College |access-date=30 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123125104/http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_soeast.html |archive-date=23 November 2018 |date=2000 }}</ref>