 Pauketat states that “... practices are always novel and creative, in some ways unlike those in other times or places...” when understood within their historical context.One method to ascertain the historical influences on practices is discerning traditions, or practices with a long temporal dimension.Traditions are the forms of practice most visible in the archaeological record; they can range from an arrowhead style to the preponderance of shell-tempered pottery throughout the U.S. Mid-South and Midwest during the Mississippian era.