Formative stage facts for kids

The Formative Period is a very important time in the history of ancient America. It's a stage that archaeologists use to describe how societies developed. This period is often split into "Early", "Middle", and "Late" parts.

This stage is the third of five main periods defined by archaeologists Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips. They wrote about it in their 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology.

During the Formative Stage, people started using new technologies. They learned to make pottery and how to do weaving. They also got much better at growing their own food, relying mostly on agriculture.

Societies in this period began to form permanent towns and villages. They also built the first special places for ceremonies. Often, a group of religious leaders, sometimes called a theocracy, started to become powerful.

This period is sometimes called the "Pre-Classic stage". It came after the Archaic stage and before the Classic stage.

Here are the five main stages of ancient American history:

• The Lithic stage
• The Archaic stage
• The Formative stage
• The Classic stage
• The Post-Classic stage

The exact dates and features of the Formative Period can be different depending on where you are in the Americas. Below, we'll look at how this period is generally understood in different regions.

Formative Period in North America

In North American history, the Formative Stage is sometimes called the "Neo-Indian period". It describes cultures that existed between about 1000 BC and 500 AD. Other ways of classifying history might call this time the Woodland period.

The Formative, Classic, and Post-Classic stages are sometimes grouped together. This larger period is known as the Post-Archaic period, which runs from 1000 BC to today. Important sites and cultures from this time include the Adena, Old Copper, Oasisamerica, Woodland, Fort Ancient, Hopewell tradition, and Mississippian cultures.

Formative Period in Mesoamerica

In Mesoamerican history, the Preclassic or Formative Period lasted from about 2000 BC to 250 AD. This time includes the entire Olmec culture and the early parts of the Maya culture.

Formative Period in South America

In the history of ancient Peru, the Formative Period is divided into two parts:

• The Initial Period: This was from 1800 BC to 900 BC. Some cultures and sites from this time are Early Chiripa, Kotosh culture, Cupisnique, Las Haldas, and Sechin Alto.
• The Early Horizon or Formative Period: This was from 900 BC to 200 BC. Important cultures include Chavín, Late Chiripa, Paracas, and Chankillo.

See also

In Spanish: Periodo formativo de América para niños