While excavating in the first major city of North America, known to historians as Cahokia, a group of archaeologists and students from Saint Louis University discovered a treasure trove of artifacts and remnants of Native American culture dating from 1100 to 1200 AD.
Located near present-day St. Louis, Missouri, Cahokia was built according to the Mississippian culture, where people constructed homes on earthen mounds. The excavation team found wall trenches and various types of architecture dating back 800 to 900 years, along with numerous pottery fragments and tools known as micro-drills mixed in with the ruins of buried buildings.
Scenic view of the Cahokia mounds historical site.
The Mississippian culture is best known for its construction of earthen mounds, many of which are still preserved today. These mounds span across the Midwest, Eastern, and Southeastern United States. In addition to the impressive mounds, the Mississippians built urban settlements that followed social organization and cultural development models similar to those of great Mesoamerican civilizations (i.e., the Maya, Inca, and Aztec). The largest of these settlements is Cahokia, located near the Mississippi River, which runs north to south, dividing the United States.
Birdman tablet discovered in the 1970s from Monks Mound, believed to be related to religious or ceremonial activities of the Mississippian culture, and became a symbol of Cahokia.
Cahokia was established in the 9th or 10th century, reaching its peak around six square miles (approximately 15 square kilometers) and possibly housing around 20,000 to 40,000 Mississippian residents. The constructions were highly diverse, including residential areas, plazas, public buildings, commercial facilities, temples, and ceremonial centers. Agricultural land was also interspersed among these constructions.
Monks Mound, the largest of the Cahokia mounds in Mississippi.
It is estimated that around 120 mounds could be found in the city around 1200 AD, with about 70 to 80 mounds preserved. Many buildings served as foundations for government buildings, public squares, markets, temples, and residences belonging to the wealthy. Other mounds were used for burial purposes, and some may have been constructed purely for aesthetic reasons or to worship certain deities.
Monks Mound is the largest mound of the Mississippians, covering 14 acres (6 hectares) and rising 100 feet (30 meters) above the ground. It is constructed in two tiers and has a shape resembling a four-sided pyramid. Monks Mound is the largest earthen structure found in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest of all the Cahokia mounds. It is believed that a building serving as the town hall of the Mississippians would be located at the top of Monks Mound, accessible by a long stone staircase.
The Cahokia mounds and the rest of the city are part of the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. In recent excavations, archaeologists from Saint Louis University and their students have worked diligently to ensure that no damage is done to this culturally significant site. Mary Vermilion, an associate professor of anthropology and archaeology at Saint Louis University, who oversees the excavation, stated: “I have no intention of destroying the features of this place, only to document them.”
Ongoing excavations at Cahokia will reveal fascinating information about how the Mississippian people worked and lived daily. A series of aerial surveys of the city and surrounding areas will be conducted using LiDAR (a surveying technology that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with laser light and recording the reflected pulses with a sensor).
