Gardening

Corn was the most important crop for the people living in Chucalissa. As the skill of growing corn migrated from Central America, Native people adjusted their diets and lifestyles to reflect this new food. As people ate more corn, they traveled less often to hunt and gather plants. By staying in a single place longer, Native people were able to build bigger houses and towns to live in. This stable food source also allowed people to devote more time to politics, religion and art. Gardening required many tools and many hours of labor. The people who lived at Chucalissa created gardening tools out of wood, stone, bone and shell. People used tools to till the soil, dig holes for seeds, and process plants to store and eat. Corn, beans and squash were the "three sisters" of the Native diet, and the three plants worked together to provide better growing conditions for one another.

Memphis, Tennessee · United States