The Hopewell People
 During
the Middle Woodland period (300 B.C. to A.D. 500), Hopewell peoples moved
into Michigan from the south. The people who archaeologists call
"Hopewell" are best known for the large, complex burial mounds they
built. The mounds were built over tombs in which as many as 20 people might be
buried.
Oftentimes, people were buried with interesting and unusual objects from
far-away places. These objects included such things as copper beads from the
shores of Lake Superior, cups made of shell from the Gulf of Mexico and
fresh-water pearls from the Mississippi River valley.
During the Middle Woodland period, as tobacco was traded into the Midwest,
Hopewell peoples carved beautiful stone pipes, often in the shapes of animals.
At the end of the period, corn was first introduced into the region. In
northern Michigan, fish was a very important source of food. Net fishing
allowed people to catch large quantities of fish, which supported a growing
population.
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