ro ▁M ounds ' ▁cer emon ial ▁objects ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁fin est ▁examples ▁of ▁pre - Col umb ian ▁art ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Later , ▁arch ae olog ists ▁recognized ▁that ▁the ▁rit ual ▁artifact s ▁at ▁S pi ro ▁were ▁similar ▁to ▁compar able ▁objects ▁exc av ated ▁at ▁other ▁powerful ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁towns ▁that ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁Cer emon ial ▁Complex . ▁These ▁include ▁C ah ok ia ▁in ▁Illinois , ▁the ▁largest ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁town ; ▁Et ow ah ▁and ▁O cm ul ge e ▁in ▁Georgia ; ▁and ▁M ound ville ▁in ▁Alabama . ▁In ▁economic ▁terms , ▁S pi ro ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁gateway ▁town ▁that ▁fun ne led ▁valuable ▁resources ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁Pla ins ▁and ▁other ▁western ▁regions ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁cer emon ial ▁cent ers ▁farther ▁east . ▁In ▁return , ▁it ▁received ▁valuable ▁goods ▁from ▁those ▁other ▁cent ers . ▁S pi ro ' s ▁location ▁on ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁River , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ' s ▁principal ▁trib ut aries , ▁gave ▁it ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁heart land . ▁ ▁S pi ro ▁and ▁other ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁towns ▁clearly ▁looked ▁to ▁the ▁great ▁city ▁of ▁C ah ok ia , ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁southern ▁Illinois , ▁as ▁a ▁cultural ▁model ▁to ▁be ▁em ulated . ▁Loc ated ▁about ▁ 4 0 0 ▁miles ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁S pi ro ▁near ▁the ▁confl