From the Great Lakes came raw copper which was hammered into tools , decorations and religious objects . From the Gulf of Mexico came large marine shells called whelks or conches. The shells were worked into necklaces and large circular disks decorated in many designs.

In addition to the many traders who traveled up and down the river many travelers visited these communities. We have no written records of most of these travelers and what they saw as they visited these villages and towns.

There is one exception, however, and that is the record left by the Spanish travelers who came through the Mississippi Valley in 1542-1543. These travelers were members of the army of Hernando DeSoto. DeSoto landed somewhere in the vicinity of Tampa Bay Florida and then, over two years, traveled throughout what is now the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tenessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and Lousiana. The reports left be Desoto's army are some of the only eyewitness accounts we have of these communities.In the Mississippi Valley DeSoto's army visited a number of large communities. We have the following maps of DeSoto's travels available :

• Desoto's Travel - Valleys visited
• Desoto's Travel - Communities visited
• Desoto's Travel - Overall Picture