Europeans first visited it in May 1540 during the expedition of the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. According to Spanish chronicles, the leader, a woman, lived with her family in a house on a mound. The common people lived in dozens of smaller houses arranged in clusters around the leader and her nobles. A majority of the chiefdom lived in outlying villages, usually near the Wateree River or a tributary. The food plains of rivers had the best soil for growing corn, squash, and beans.
Evidence suggests the common people farmed and made tools, ornaments and pottery.
When necessary, the men were warriors. Her religious leadership was symbolized by her position on the mound. She lived above her people, just as the sun shone above the earth. However, there was a more practical side to her power. With her family and nobles, she controlled the distribution of food and scarce resources, such as mica and shells used for ornaments.