Issues Background
On the Cover
These long-nosed deities appear in various forms throughout the Mississippian culture area from the 11th to 13th centuries and tell an amazing story about the emergence of a major indigenous polity in the North American heartland. They are now on display in the Infinity of Nations exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York.
Mississippian long-nosed gods maskettes, circa 1100-1300 A.D. Illinois. Marine shell, probably lightning whelk; 2.4" x 2" x 2.2". Collected by Eugene and Paul Wright. 24/3506, 24/3507, 24/3508.