The geographic distribution of the symbol—particularly if the guilloche itself was understood to embody the swirl-cross—indicates that the Beneath World symbolism was widespread, possibly one of the Mississippian universals. At the same time, it must be noted that there were “hot spots” of swirl-cross usage. In the Central Mississippi Valley effigy pots of the Great Serpent were part of an array of specialized pottery, including items such as head pots.
