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Cahokia Mounds: by Cass and Meg

  depiction of MonksMound- the highest point in the settlement, ruled by the chief
and nearby community huts

    Cahokia Mounds was a huge urban settlement in the Mississippi Valley, settled by the Mississippians River Culture around 12,000 years ago. It rivaled London in size and was the largest city in America until 1800 when Philadelphia was created. Archeologists declare Cahokia Mounds a city on the grounds of several characteristics. These are:
    Population density- 4,000 people/square mile
    Specialization of Labor- Because of a great surplus in crops like corn, people were able to specialize in other professions besides farming such as - craftsmen, farmers, warriors, priests and more.
    Surplus capital- Cahokia had a defined social structure ruled by the chief who ruled the earth and spoke to the sky. Because of his esteemed position he was a very wealthy man, ruling all of Cahokia.
    Long-distance trade- Corn made trade very easy for the Cahokia people. Since corn was a steady and constant food supply there was often a surplus that was used for trade. They traded from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The highly prized trade items such as sea shells, mica, galena, and copper.
    Organized government- The Great Sun Chief had religious and government control by his birthright. The elite, priests and chieftains, counseled the Great Sun Chief. There were leaders such as the headsmen of clans and communities, they headed public construction like the mound building.
    Monumental public works- Cahokia, in settlement times, consisted of 120 mounds built by Cahokians before the wheel was invented. They had to carry woven baskets filled with 50-60 pounds dirt. The Monks Mound took three years of dirt carrying to be completed. Overall, archeologists believe that 50 million cubic feet of dirt were moved for the construction of the mounds.
    True science- the people of the Mississippian River culture were rather advanced scientifically. The had created a  sun calendar called a Woodhenge. This Woodhenge consisted of large evenly spaced log poles and was probably used to determine the changing seasons and different agricultural stages.
    Writing- none found
    Art- Although it was never discovered that this culture created artwork for the mere sake of art, there was many pictures and figures discovered that were probably used in ceremonies and ritiuals.
    Social stratification- as mentioned earlier in organized government, this cutlure was divided into four distinct classes, the Sun Chief; the preists and chieftans; the leaders; and finaly the commoners or working class. This working class consisted of the skilled laborers, farmers, workers, fishermen, and artisans.

    Cahokia prevailed for more than 500 years. The end of this great civilization came slowly during the late 13th and 14th century for an unknown reason. There are several theories. Some believe that the population grew too large and people began to drift away, others believe that the rulers and priests lost their ability to control the masses. Some blame a climate change or overpollution of the land, air and water. No one knows, but we do know that this was one of the most amazing and curious civilizations that ever existed.