Covering over 2,000 acres, Cahokia is the only prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico and the largest archaeological site of the famous Mississippi culture. Cahokia is made up of 109 mounds of North American Indians known as the Mound Builders, but at the same time it remains a big mystery how they managed to build such huge complex mounds. Cahokia is famous for its huge mounds - large clay structures. This city was inhabited from about 700 to 1400 AD by ancient peoples. At the beginning, there were only a few thousand, but then the population of Cahokia grew to tens of thousands.
At the height of the Cahokian culture (1100 to 1200 AD), the city covered almost six square miles and had a population of 20,000. The buildings were built in rows around spacious squares. Food in the city came from small villages around, where they were engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. The Cahokians traded with other tribes as far as Minnesota. The real name of the city is unknown and the inhabitants apparently did not use a script. The name Cahokia comes from a tribe that had no relation to this civilization, which lived in this territory when the first French explorers arrived (late 17th century).
The ancient Indians of Cahokia built more than 120 clay mounds. Some mounds have not survived to our times, as they were destroyed by subsequent tribes. The Cahokia mound complex is an amazing sight. Some burial mounds do not exceed several meters in height, and some exceed 30 meters in height. More than 50 million cubic feet of land were moved to build these embankments, and huge quarries still exist in some places. The Indians carried the soil on their backs, dragging large, heavy baskets.
Three types of embankments were used, the most common of which were in the form of a platform - they were used as places for political and religious ceremonies, mass gatherings. Canonical mounds (mounds) were created for burials or for marking important places.
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In the center of the historical site there is the largest embankment called Monks Kurgan. It is the largest prehistoric earthen mound in North America. The mound is 1,000 feet long and 800 feet wide. Monks' Kurgan consists of four terraces, each of which was added at different times. Approximately 22 million cubic feet of land was used to build this embankment between 900 and 1200. The mound was named for the French monks who lived nearby in the 1800s. Monks Kurgan is the most likely building where the ruler of Cahokia lived and important ceremonies were held. Over the years, the embankment has been significantly damaged by humans, so it is rather difficult to determine the original size of the mound.
The monks' mound and the city center were surrounded by a 2 mile long wall with guard towers spaced every 70 feet. The wall was built then only for the purpose of protection, but also as a social barrier between different sectors of society, separating the elite from the common people. At the moment, several sections of the Cahokia stockade have been restored.
Archaeologists have unearthed five circular wooden devices that served as solar calendars for the Cahokian Indians. These calendars, made from evenly spaced wooden logs, are called Woodhenge. The devices confirm the high level of development of the Cahokian Indians. The most interesting and mysterious discovery associated with the Cahokian mounds is mound 72. Here archaeologists have found the bodies of almost 300 people, mostly young women, most likely sacrificed. There was another grave nearby, where the ruler was buried. His body lay in a tomb with 20,000 seashells, the age of the ruler is 40-45 years. It is believed that those who were buried next to him were sacrificed to serve him in his next life. The mound was erected around 950-1000 AD.
The gradual decline in the population of Cahokia began after 1200, and two centuries later the area became deserted. The fate of the tribes of Cahokia remains unknown, scientists believe that they were forced to leave by climate change, and drought due to severe deforestation. No legends, reports or references have survived about the great Cahokia.
The Cahokia Mounds were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Mounds are located near Collinsville, Illinois.
Author: PapaSilver