Coligua

Coligua was a chiefdom in the Arkansas interior, on a river valley at the foot of the uplands. Its fields yielded maize, beans and squash, and the people stored grain in quantity against the lean months. The valley linked the highlands with the lowlands of the Mississippi, and paths carried salt, flint and shell between the hills and the river towns. In 1541 Hernando de Soto led his expedition into Coligua after passing through Quiguate. A chronicler described abundant harvests and full granaries in the province. The chief stayed in his own town but supplied a guide to the Spaniards as they continued toward Cayas and sought winter quarters farther south.