The work force in the Mississippian culture?

• A. Elites
• B. Commoners
• C. Slaves
• D. Chiefs

Answer: (B)

In Mississippian culture, large ceremonial centers and mound-building required coordinated labor, and the society was organized with a ruling class at the top and a broad base of workers beneath. The most important productive roles—farming maize and other crops, transporting earth for mounds, and making tools and goods—were carried out by the majority of people in the communities: the commoners. These workers supported the elites and chiefs who directed the labor and controlled resources, but they were the ones doing the daily and large-scale tasks that kept the society functioning. While there were elites who organized and led, and some limited roles that involved coercive labor in some sites, the overall workforce was primarily made up of commoners, which is why the best answer emphasizes them as the main labor force.