▁appearance ▁of ▁new ▁rit ual ▁objects ▁and ▁cultural ▁mot ifs ▁connected ▁with ▁new ▁develop ments ▁in ▁politics ▁and ▁long - distance ▁trade . ▁ ▁Arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁determined ▁that ▁S pi ro ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁its ▁cultural ▁importance ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁icon ography ▁ ▁Arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁tried ▁in ▁recent ▁years ▁to ▁interpret ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁rit ual ▁artifact s ▁and ▁art istic ▁imag ery ▁found ▁at ▁S pi ro ▁and ▁other ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁sites . ▁While ▁reaching ▁firm ▁conclus ions ▁about ▁the ▁mean ings ▁of ▁works ▁of ▁art ▁made ▁centuries ▁ago ▁by ▁people ▁of ▁an ▁ext inct ▁culture ▁is ▁difficult , ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁made ▁some ▁comp elling ▁interpret ations ▁by ▁comparing ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁art istic ▁imag ery ▁with ▁the ▁myth s , ▁religious ▁rit uals , ▁art , ▁and ▁icon ography ▁of ▁historic ▁Native ▁American ▁groups . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁symbols ▁at ▁S pi ro ▁is ▁the ▁" B ird man ," ▁a ▁wing ed ▁human ▁figure ▁representing ▁a ▁war rior ▁or ▁ch un key ▁player . ▁Ch un key ▁was ▁a ▁game ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁period , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁historic ▁times ▁by ▁the ▁Cho ct aw , ▁Ch ick as aw , ▁Ch ero kee , ▁and ▁other ▁tribes ▁throughout ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Wood lands . ▁Men ▁played ▁the ▁game ▁by ▁rolling ▁a ▁stone ▁disk ▁for ▁a ▁considerable ▁distance