Mississippian people used tools similar to those used in the past to hunt and gather the many plant and animal resources around them. These included deer, elk, bison, fish, small mammals, and many wild plants such as fruits, berries, and nuts.
A big change for Mississippian people was beginning to farm crops of corn. The introduction of farming provided a more stable food source than just hunting and gathering. In good years, farming provided surplus food that could be stored for lean years. Woodland peoples had grown some corn but did not rely on it as did the Mississippians.
