early Woodland

A subdivision of the Woodland defined for the archaeology of the eastern parts of North America which succeeds the Archaic around 1000 bc. The transition from late Archaic to Woodland saw three major innovations: the development of pottery manufacture; the deliberate cultivation of native plants (especially gourds, squashes, sunflowers, and tobacco); and burial under funerary mounds. The most distinctive early Woodland cultures belong to the Adena Complex.