, ▁where ▁important ▁religious ▁rit uals , ▁the ▁polit ically ▁and ▁cult ur ally ▁significant ▁game ▁of ▁ch un key , ▁and ▁other ▁important ▁community ▁activities ▁were ▁carried ▁out . ▁The ▁population ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁village ▁that ▁border ed ▁the ▁pla za . ▁In ▁addition , ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁found ▁more ▁than ▁twenty ▁related ▁village ▁sites ▁within ▁five ▁miles ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁town . ▁Other ▁village ▁sites ▁linked ▁to ▁S pi ro ▁through ▁culture ▁and ▁trade ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁ ▁away . ▁ ▁S pi ro ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁human ▁activity ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 8 0 0 0 ▁years . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁settlement ▁from ▁ 8 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 4 5 0 . ▁The ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁ma ize ▁allowed ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁c rop ▁sur pl uses ▁and ▁the ▁gather ing ▁of ▁more ▁dense ▁populations . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁headquarters ▁town ▁of ▁a ▁regional ▁chief dom , ▁whose ▁powerful ▁leaders ▁directed ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁eleven ▁platform ▁m ounds ▁and ▁one ▁bur ial ▁m ound ▁in ▁an ▁ ▁area ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁River . ▁The ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁is ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁nine ▁m ounds ▁surrounding ▁an ▁o val ▁pla za . ▁These ▁m ounds ▁were ▁the ▁bases ▁of ▁the ▁homes ▁of ▁important ▁leaders ▁or ▁formed ▁the ▁found ations ▁for ▁religious ▁structures ▁that ▁focused ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁Brown ▁M ound , ▁the ▁largest ▁platform ▁m ound , ▁is