Pippin - the Hopewell came well after the Adena. However, it's speculated that the Hopewell may have come from the Adena. This is very possible, due to the fact that the Waubesa and Dickson (both Hopewell) are contracting stemmed similar to some Adena forms. The Maya civilization lasted longer than both of the others until the arrival of the Spanish. It's undoubted that the Maya and other southern civilizations did have trade and an influence on the northern natives. You can especially see this in the Mississippian period and Southern Death Cult centers such as Spiro (maces, etc).
Hillbilly - I in no way meant to demean the Hopewell by my statement. In fact, I have studied the Hopewell in-depth and it is one of my favorite cultures. I love to discuss them and the artwork that they created. There are alot of things about them that most people aren't familiar with. Alot of people think that Paleo people had a monopoly on the core and blade technology, not so! They also frequently used flake over grinding and other exotic flaking techniques. You wouldn't believe how many obliquely flaked Hopewell scrapers get mistaken for paleo! Did you know, it's also a common occurrence to find points from the Snyders cluster with ground bases in the southern fringes of their range? They also utilized square knives frequently, which also are commonly mistaken for something much older.
Anyways, thanks for the link and the great topic. I'm up past my bedtime and REALLY need to hit the sack..lol
