The Woodland Period, like that of the Archaic, is divided into three sub-periods: Early, Middle, and Late. Generally this period is marked with increased settling in one place, population growth, and organizatinal complexity in the society as is manifested in the intensive cultivation of crops, the establishment of well-defined villages, and the construction of ceremonial mounds. Additionally, this period sees the introduction of pottery.

The Early Woodland Period (3,000 -- 2,200 B. C.) is characterized by the widespread appearance of pottery. The pottery of this period is distinctive in style and technological variations. These appear throughout the Southeast during this period. Pottery of this period often exhibited cord-marked designs pressed into the clay as fabric-impressed designs.

The settlements during this period were small sites that exhibited long-distance interaction and trade. During this period there apparently was a collaplse in the exchange networks of the earlier period. This is evidenced in the lack of exotic goods and materials as had been present before. The Early Woodland settlements consisted of fifty to sixty people per site occupying only a few structures.

The most widely recognized markers of the Middle Woodland Period (2,200 -- 1,650 B. C.) are the appearance of exotic artifacts, burial mound constuction, and pictorial material.

Mound construction, which began during the MIddle Archaic period, greatly increases during the Middle Woodland time. These mounds vary greatly in size and shape over the southeast. They ranged from small piles of earth to large, elaborate animal forms. Some mounds were used to form enclosures around other earthworks, others were constructed over human remains.

This period sees the intensive exploitation of starchy seed plants. With this comes the advent of ceramic cooking and storage vessels, the construction of storage facilities, and evidence of land clearing which indicates widespread agriculture.

Traditionally, the Late Woodland Period (1,650 -- 1,100 B.C.) is seen as a time of turmoil, conflict, and cultural decline. Recent research has indicated that ceramic production, mound building, and intensive agriculture continued unabated during this time. Shell-tempered pottery, which first appeared in earlier portions of the Woodland period, became the standard during the Late Woodland Period.