Final answer:
The Clovis and Folsom cultures were early North American hunter-gatherer societies that contributed to the development of mound-building traditions like the Hopewell and Mississippian cultures. Mound builders created complex societies with trade networks and ceremonial constructions, the origins and purposes of which are still studied today.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pre-Columbian Mound Building Cultures
The Clovis and Folsom cultures, along with later societies such as the Hopewell and Mississippian traditions, are a part of North America's rich pre-Columbian history. The Clovis culture, dating back to around 13,000 years ago, consisted of mobile hunter-gatherers who created distinctively shaped stone tools and lived in resource-rich areas across North America. This nomadic culture gave way to more settled cultural traditions including mound builders.
The Hopewell tradition emerged in the Eastern Woodlands around 200 BCE, known for their earthworks, and the later Mississippian tradition developed large settlements such as Cahokia, with intensive maize agriculture and complex trade networks, starting around 700 CE. The Great Serpent Mound in Ohio is believed to have been built by the Fort Ancient Culture, a group influenced by the Mississippian culture, although it may have also involved earlier societies like the Adena or Hopewell cultures.
These early North American cultures were intricately connected through trade, shared religious practices, and the construction of mounds used for various purposes, including burial, ceremonial, and possible astronomical roles. Transformations in these societies often reflected adjustments to environmental conditions and interactions with new waves of migrants.