The Adena Culture was a prehistoric Native American culture that thrived in the Ohio Valley from around 1000 BCE to 200 CE. Known for their earthen mounds, the Adena people constructed burial mounds and ceremonial sites, which often contained artifacts such as pottery, tools, and jewelry. These mounds served as important cultural and religious sites. The Adena were primarily hunter-gatherers, but they also practiced agriculture, growing crops like maize and squash. They lived in small, semi-permanent villages and were skilled in crafting items from stone, bone, and shell. The culture is considered a precursor to later Native American societies in the region.