Cahokia: history and archaeology of the ancient settlement

Cahokia has been described as "ancient America's one true city north of Mexico -- as large in its day as London," (1). The approximate population of its city center would have been around 10,000, with at least twenty or thirty thousand more people living in outlying areas (2). Cahokia is a "pyramidal mound complex" that contains the "third largest pyramid in the entire New World," (1). In its heyday, though, there were more than two hundred pyramidal mounds that were arranged in accordance with "the four sacred directions and the upper and lower worlds," (1). Yet much has been lost to the ravages of time and historical prejudices against indigenous societies. Although archaeological work is ongoing, researchers have been able to draw some conclusions about Cahokia and its inhabitants.

For example, it is believed that Cahokia represents "an abrupt burst of large-scale construction" due to "political and social change…effected by visionaries," (2). Cahokia is believed to be a "planned city," (4). As to exactly who the Cahokian leaders and visionaries were, there are some suggestions that they "drew on MesoAmerican models" of culture and urban planning. There was a distinct social stratification in Cahokia, for instance, and a ruling elite. It is also believed, based on inferences related to other patterns of historical development, that the masses of people who helped to support this new ruling elite were not coerced but cooperative in the endeavor. In other words, the people supported the government (5). Cahokia would then go on to influence surrounding regions.

Moreover, there have been some noticeable links between the Native Americans living when the Spanish and French first arrived to the Mississippi basin area that are "tangible," and not just anecdotal; they involve archaeological artifacts (5). Archaeologists have been able to determine the housing styles and structures: Pole and thatch houses, for instance. The archaeological records reveal marine shell beads used in trading, pottery shards, and other elements of Cahokian trade throughout the region. In its earliest incarnation, Old Cahokia grew organically as a common language linked together people from disparate but geographically close regions; but some people did migrate from farther away (10). The pottery record substantiates claims related to the patterns of migration that led to the population increase in Cahokia. Pottery records and other site examinations enable an understanding of local agricultural, animal, and food sources used for subsistence and also for trade.

There was a great degree of cultural continuity already existing as Cahokia evolved in the tenth century (11). Original mound builder societies converged gradually at the beginning, before the "big bang" phase of urban development. Interestingly, archaeologists have discovered that a game, Chunkey, "played a significant role in organizing social and political life in Cahokia" (Ch.4). Archaeologists have examined the diverse expressions of the game, especially as forms of it survived well into the colonial era. The outcomes of game playing had a tremendous influence on political and social status (Chapter 4). The game also had symbolic connotations that linked the game, social life, politics, and religions. Archaeologists have also been able to examine the types of stones to determine the demographic composition of the city as it evolved. The stones in the game are also linked in the record to the conflicts that Cahokia would have with its neighbors, perhaps leading to the demise of its civilization. Generally, though, there was a "mantle of peace" in Cahokia (Chapter 12).