Cahokia, village, St. Clair county, southwestern Illinois, U.S. [8] Today, Cahokia Mounds is considered the largest and most complex archaeological site north of the great pre-Columbian cities in Mexico. There is no other evidence for warfare, so the palisade may have been more for ritual or formal separation than for military purposes. [15][16], Historian Daniel Richter notes that the apex of the city occurred during the Medieval Warming Period. 11 Oct 2020. This is the only such self-contained site in Illinois and among only 24 World Heritage Sites in the United States. Their settlements ranged across what is now the Midwest, Eastern, and Southeastern United States. Beyond Monks Mound, as many as 120 more mounds stood at varying distances from the city center. Many theories since the late 20th century propose conquest-induced political collapse as the primary reason for Cahokia's abandonment. It is the only known copper workshop to be found at a Mississippian culture site. [25] If the highest population estimates are correct, Cahokia was larger than any subsequent city in the United States until the 1780s, when Philadelphia's population grew beyond 40,000. Analysis of sediment from beneath Horseshoe Lake has revealed that two major floods occurred in the period of settlement at Cahokia, in roughly 1100–1260 and 1340–1460. Most likely, multiple indigenous ethnic groups settled in the Cahokia Mounds area during the time of the city's apex. A related problem was waste disposal for the dense population, and Cahokia became unhealthy from polluted waterways. [35][36], To the south of Monks Mound is the Grand Plaza, a large area that covered roughly 50 acres (20 ha) and measured over 1,600 ft (490 m) in length by over 900 ft (270 m) in width. In addition, a cache of sophisticated, finely worked arrowheads in a variety of different styles and materials was found near the grave of this important man.
[37] It was used for large ceremonies and gatherings, as well as for ritual games, such as chunkey. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Separated into four types, each from a different geographical region, the arrowheads demonstrated Cahokia's extensive trade links in North America. The mounds are divided into three different types: platform, conical, and ridge-top.
Until the 19th century, a series of similar mounds existed in what is now the city of St. Louis, some 20 km (12 mi) to the southwest of the Cahokia site.
[30][32], The original site contained 120 earthen mounds over an area of 6 square miles (16 km2), of which 80 remain today. [21], At the high point of its development, Cahokia was the largest urban center north of the great Mesoamerican cities in Mexico and Central America. Last modified April 26, 2014. Northeast of the city (near Collinsville) is Cahokia Mounds, a large prehistoric Mississippian culture city; a state historic site, it was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1982. This is thought to have had symbolic associations to the builders in connection with their lunar maize goddess of the underworld. [10], Although some evidence exists of occupation during the Late Archaic period (around 1200 BCE) in and around the site,[11] Cahokia as it is now defined was settled around 600 CE during the Late Woodland period. It reached a peak population of as many as 20,000 individuals and was the most extensive urban centre in prehistoric America north of Mexico and the primary centre of the Middle Mississippian culture. Engraved beaker from Cahokia site, donated by Moorehead, ISM collection. Most of these mounds were leveled throughout the construction of St. Louis, as their material was reused in construction projects.
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The city site reached its peak in the 13th century and was abandoned centuries before European contact. [42] The skeletons include: The relationship of these burials to the central burial is unclear. [27], One of the major problems that large centers like Cahokia faced was keeping a steady supply of food. The names of 11 U.S. states begin with "N.". Cahokia became the most important center for the people known today as Mississippians. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 19, 1964, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.[1]. This article was most recently revised and updated by. It is also one of the 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the United States. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cahokia&oldid=980403074, Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois, Former Native American populated places in the United States, Populated places established in the 7th century, National Register of Historic Places in St. Clair County, Illinois, Protected areas of St. Clair County, Illinois, National Register of Historic Places in Madison County, Illinois, 7th-century establishments in North America, 14th-century disestablishments in North America, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2013, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Four young males, missing their hands and skulls, A mass grave of more than 50 women around 21 years old, with the bodies arranged in two layers separated by matting, A mass burial containing 40 men and women who appear to have been violently killed, some of these may have been buried alive: "From the vertical position of some of the fingers, which appear to have been digging in the sand, it is apparent that not all of the victims were dead when they were interred – that some had been trying to pull themselves out of the mass of bodies. [28], Another possible cause is invasion by outside peoples, though the only evidence of warfare found are the defensive wooden stockade and watchtowers that enclosed Cahokia's main ceremonial precinct. Books Chickasaw.tv, . It was built with a symbolic quadripartite worldview and oriented toward the four cardinal directions with the main east-west and north-south axes defined with Monks Mound near its center point. Although some evidence exists of occupation during the Late Archaic period (around 1200 BCE) in and around the site, Cahokia as it is now defined was settled around 600 CE during the Late Woodland period. This historic park lies in south-western Illinois between East St. Louis and Collinsville. Scholars believe almost 62% of these were sacrificial victims, based on signs of ritual execution, method of burial, and other factors. Pop. [44], Excavations near Mound 34 from 2002 to 2010 revealed a copper workshop. Written by Jan van der Crabben, published on 26 April 2014 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Cite This Work Cahokia Mounds was first protected by the state of Illinois in 1923 when its legislature authorized purchase of a state park. The Rattlesnake Causeway leading from Monks Mound to Mound 66 is the city's ceremonial north-south axis.
Mill Creek chert, most notably, was used in the production of hoes, a high demand tool for farmers around Cahokia and other Mississippian centers. Mound building at this location began with the emergent Mississippian cultural period, about the 9th century CE.
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