▁S out he astern ▁Wood land ▁pe op les ▁also ▁used ▁blow g uns . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁c ited ▁techn ological ▁distinction ▁of ▁this ▁period ▁was ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁use ▁of ▁pot tery ▁( although ▁pot tery ▁manufact ure ▁had ▁ar isen ▁during ▁the ▁Arch a ic ▁period ▁in ▁some ▁places ), ▁and ▁the ▁divers ification ▁of ▁pot tery ▁forms , ▁decor ations , ▁and ▁manufact uring ▁practices . ▁The ▁increasing ▁use ▁of ▁h ort icult ure ▁and ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Agricult ural ▁Complex , ▁consisting ▁of ▁we edy ▁seed ▁plants ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁g ourd ▁cultiv ation , ▁also ▁meant ▁that ▁groups ▁became ▁less ▁mobile ▁over ▁time ▁and , ▁in ▁some ▁times ▁and ▁places , ▁people ▁lived ▁in ▁perman ently ▁occupied ▁villages ▁and ▁cities . ▁Int ensive ▁agricult ure ▁character izes ▁the ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁period ▁from ▁c . ▁ 1 0 0 0 – 1 4 0 0 ▁CE ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁continued ▁up ▁to ▁European ▁contact , ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Early ▁Wood land ▁period ▁( 1 0 0 0 – 2 0 0 ▁B CE ) ▁The ▁Early ▁Wood land ▁period ▁continued ▁many ▁tr ends ▁begun ▁during ▁the ▁Late ▁and ▁Terminal ▁Arch a ic ▁periods , ▁including ▁extensive ▁m ound - building , ▁regional ▁distinct ive ▁bur ial ▁complex es , ▁the ▁trade ▁of ▁ex otic ▁goods ▁across ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁interaction ▁spher es , ▁the ▁reli ance ▁on ▁both ▁wild ▁and ▁domestic