Cahokia’s Cultural Impact
Researchers in Wisconsin have found evidence of pottery and housing created in the Cahokia style. Archaeologists started excavating the area in 1961 and have uncovered an array of interesting artifacts including ceramic and stone figurines. The city was home to a large number of artisans that supplied chieftains and the elites with their work. It was likely that the chieftains of the city used figurines and other items to spread the word about their beliefs to nearby communities.
As is the case with most pre-Columbian centers, ritual sacrifice was practiced. Archaeologists have found evidence in the form of mass graves where hundreds of young men and women were buried. The remains suggest some of the victims were strangled while others bled to death. Excavators found the skeletons of four decapitated men with their hands also cut off. Yet another grave housed men who had probably been beaten to death with clubs.
It is probable that the victims were all residents of the city because there is no evidence that Cahokia was at war with other tribes. In other Native American sites, archaeologists found a huge number of arrowheads left behind by war, but there are hardly any at Cahokia. In other words, if you lived in the city, the greatest threat to you was its chieftains and not outsiders. Between 1175 and 1275, the city was rebuilt four times which suggests a threat from local or outside sources.
Why Did Cahokia’s Population Disappear?
This is a question that archaeologists cannot find a definitive answer to. Its population probably reached its highest level by the beginning of the 12th century, but the city was practically uninhabited by the middle of the 14th century. It is perhaps noteworthy that there are no mentions of Cahokia in the folklore and oral histories of Native Americans. Clearly, something happened there that the Native Americans would rather forget.
Archaeologists have come up with specific eras for the development of the city according to the orientation of the buildings. Houses were organized into courtyard patterns from 1050-1100 (Lohmann Phase). During the 12th century, also known as the Stirling Phase, houses were built in a strict grid pattern with homes and mounds oriented in a north-south direction. The Moorhead Phase was the last phase and occurred from the beginning of the 13th century until 1350. It involved a return to the courtyard patterns of the 11th century.
It seems as if these phases were due to social change rather than merely being fads. Originally, chieftains and the elites coerced the city’s residents into building the mounds they sat on and repaid them with little more than platitudes and the occasional large feast. Eventually, the population of Cahokia probably grew tired of this state of affairs, and the result was a period of civil unrest.
This is clear because, during the 12th century, the giant wooden palisade was built around the Monk’s Mound; this served as a barrier between the elite and the rest of the city. The angry residents stopped helping the elites, and the Grand Plaza soon fell into disrepair. By the 14th century, at least half of the residents left the city, and everyone else moved into their own small communities.
It is also likely that the residents rebelled against the notion that a handful of elites could choose victims for human sacrifice. Archaeologists note a significant downturn in sacrifices after the decline of the Grand Plaza. It is also possible that a succession of droughts badly affected the region and the city was unable to support such a huge population.
Aftermath
Although Cahokia was abandoned, the city made a lasting impression on the surrounding landscape. The empty courtyards of the city were eventually inhabited by other Native American tribes, and European settlers built farms and settlements over them. The remaining Cahokia Mounds still inspire wonder among tourists and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. There is also a possibility that the U.S. National Park Service will take the 2.2-acre site under its wing. Federal intervention would greatly increase the level of tourism to the 72 mounds. At present, around 250,000 people visit the Cahokia Mounds each year.