Cahokia, Illinois, USA
Cahokia, Illinois, USA [Si].An extensive Mississippian settlement and ceremonial centre of the period AD 700–1600 situated in an alluvium covered valley. Covering over 16 square kilometres, the site had an estimated population of about 38 000 souls at it height in the 11th and 12th centuries ad. However, the most striking feature of the site is the group of 45 or so mounds surviving out of an estimated original set of about 120. These mounds are of three types: platform, burial, and ridged. The largest is Monk's Mound, a platform mound built c.AD 900–1200: 316m by 241m, it rises in four terraces to a height of 33m. On the top is a large building interpreted as a ceremonial centre and home for the ruler of the area. All around Cahokia there are numerous smaller settlements representing hamlets and farmsteads.[Sum.: D. Young and M. Fowler, 2000, Cahokia. The great native American metropolis. Columbia: University of Illinois Press]
[The entire page is 158 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
