All periods

Archaic · c. 3,000 – 1,200 BCE

Late Archaic

Long-distance exchange in mica, marine shell and native copper. Poverty Point flourishes between 1730 and 1350 BCE, and Great Lakes communities are working copper on a scale that makes them among the earliest metalworkers anywhere.

Date range
3,000 BCE – 1,200 BCE
Key terms
Poverty Point · Old Copper complex · Exchange networks · Gorgets

Test yourself

Quiz on Late Archaic

Lessons from this period

Artifacts the Academy examines from Late Archaic.