The woodlands of the East were home to a number of similar cultures who lived by hunting and gathering. Some, particularly south of the Great Lakes, also cultivated native plants.
Different styles of artefacts distinguished the groups; these were often made of exotic materials which were widely traded.
A major feature of many settlements (which were not generally occupied year round) was an extensive cemetery. In these red ochre was often scattered over the dead.
After about 1000 BC, in the central region around Ohio, home of the Adena culture, many of these features were elaborated. Settlements became more sedentary, although still not permanently occupied, and suggest populations were growing in size.
Trade increased, indicating an increased demand both for essentials like stone and for exotic raw materials from which prestige objects could be fashioned.
The territories owned by individual groups were now more clearly defined and strongly maintained. One way in which this was achieved was by erecting burial mounds on prominent ridges where they were clearly visible and served as a marker of the group's ownership of the land.
