Cahokia

Site location: – 16 km east-northeast of Saint Louis (in East Saint Louis), On Cahokia Creek – Cahokia was the largest prehistoric city north of Mexico – At its peak it may have had some 20,000-30,000 inhabitants – Appears to have been the center of at least 50 communities in the American Bottom region

Occupation This site was first inhabited by Indians of the Late Woodland culture about AD 700. The site grew during the following Mississippian period, after AD 900, and by AD , the Cahokia site was the regional center for the Mississippian culture with many satellite communities, villages and farmsteads around it. After AD 1200, the population began to decline and the site was abandoned by AD

Cahokia Reconstruction

Additional Reconstruction

City Center Site center is basically diamond shaped with an interior palisaded core – 4.58 km east-west by 3.67 km north-south and 13.4 km2 – 120 mounds City center: – Monk's Mound plus 16 other mounds – Basically shaped like a squat boat heading south – Surrounded by a palisade on three sides (Cahokia Creek defining the fourth side) Majority of mounds lie outside the palisaded inner core – One small mound yielded the burial of a high-ranking individual buried with: Caches of arrow heads, Polished stone, Mica, Six sacrificed male retainers, A separate mass grave containing 53 women

Palisade Excavations begun in 1966 uncovered a two-mile-long stockade surrounding the central portion of Cahokia. The wall was started around A.D and then rebuilt three times over a period of 200 years. Each construction required 15,000-20,000 oak and hickory logs, one foot in diameter and twenty feet tall. The logs were sunk into a trench four to five feet deep and were supported with horizontal poles or interwoven with saplings.

Reconstructed Palisade

“Woodhenge” Evidence that there were as many as five Woodhenges. These were built over a period of 200 years (A.D ). Fragments of wood were identified as red cedar and used for the posts.

"Woodhenge“ Functions Possible functions of "Woodhenge“: – Observatory (?): May have functioned like Stonehenge as a sort of "observatory" For astral and horizon alignment observations. three posts are crucial as seasonal markers -- those marking the first days of winter and summer (the solstices), and one halfway between marking the first days of spring and fall (the equinoxes). – Sun Dance "Temple" (?)

Woodhenge Reconstruction

Burial & Status: Cahokia Mound 72 The wood dates to approximately 1000 A.D. 272 burials were discovered in mound 72. Burials without litters

Mound 72 Burials with litters

Mound 72 Female Burial Pit (53 between 15 and 30)

Mound 72 Headless Burials

Reconstruction of “Chief” from Mound 72 burial-cc-jefgodsky.jpg

Monk’s Mound Largest monument at Cahokia is the famous Monk's Mound Monk's Mound: – About 100 feet high – Covers sixteen acres (3 acres more than the great pyramid at Giza!) (6.4 hectares) – 316 by 241 meters(76156 square meters) rising over 30 meters high – Contains over 600,000 cubic meters of earth – Constructed in stages – This constitutes one of the largest examples of prehistoric construction in the entire Western Hemisphere

Monk’s Mound

Another View

Mississippian Collapse Most Mississippian centers abandoned by 1500s, before contact with Europeans – Reasons largely unknown. Natchez and Coosa still around until decimated by European disease.

Sources marksvle.htm marksvle.htm an%20Culture%20thumbnail.htm an%20Culture%20thumbnail.htm