THE NATIVE VILLAGE THAT HID HERNANDO DE SOTO’S FIRST CAMP IN AMERICA

The distinction changes the story.

For the Spanish, the journey was an expedition into unknown territory.

For the people living there, armed strangers had entered their homeland.

CAPACHEQUI’S POSITION IN THE SOUTHEAST

The settlement was not isolated.

The southeastern chiefdoms were connected through exchange and political relationships.

The region contained major centers and smaller communities.

Some were associated with the broader cultural traditions archaeologists call Mississippian and later Lamar.