Final answer:
The Woodland period was characterized by the development of agriculture, settled communities, social stratification, technological advances such as the bow and arrow, and extensive trading networks, unlike the nomadic, egalitarian hunter-gatherer lifestyle of the Archaic period.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between the Archaic and Woodland Periods
The Woodland period differed from the Archaic period in several significant ways. While both periods saw native cultures in North America develop and diversify, they are distinct in terms of technological advancements, subsistence patterns, and social organization. During the Archaic period (8,000-1,000 BCE), people predominantly lived as hunter-gatherers, relying heavily on a diet that consisted mostly of gathered plant materials with some hunting of smaller game such as bison. However, the Woodland period, spanning from 1,000 BCE to 1,000 CE, marked a transformative era where the domestication of plants led to the agricultural revolution. This shift towards agriculture allowed for the establishment of settled communities, which resulted in social stratification and more complex social structures. Cultural practices such as pottery making, tool production, and ritual ceremonies, including the building of earthen mounds for burial and ceremonial purposes by cultures like the Adena, became characteristic of the Woodland period.
The introduction of new technologies, such as the bow and arrow, further distinguished the Woodland peoples. They also engaged in extensive trade networks, evidenced by materials found far from their source, and had more clearly defined territories. In contrast, the earlier Archaic societies were more nomadic and egalitarian.