When you think of Native American culture, what comes to mind? Tepees? Bow and arrow? Feathered headdresses? What about a developed city? We rarely think of Native Americans having the organization and sophistication to develop the infrastructure for a complex city. Of course, even if we do think it’s possible, we often think about the Mayans, Aztec, or Inca in Central and South America as being the only ones who made these sorts of advances. Instead, imagine a complex city of Native Americans in our part of North America. Such a place exists and it is called Cahokia. Outside of Missouri or Illinois, it’s rare to talk to someone (even one interested in history) to know about Cahokia.
William Clark saw the earthen mounds of Cahokia while the Corps of Discovery was making preparations in the vicinity of St. Louis during the winter of 1803—1804. He identified them simply as “Indian fortifications” with little idea as to the history of the mounds. The location of Cahokia was important for its location near the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers. Trade goods from many hundreds of miles away have been excavated in the area. The population of the city may have been as high as 40,000 at its peak during the 12th century, although this figure is under some debate. Either way, evidence of an organized city center with complex trade networks has been documented. When starting a study of Native Americans, it would serve us well to recall Cahokia’s complexity.
William Clark saw the earthen mounds of Cahokia while the Corps of Discovery was making preparations in the vicinity of St. Louis during the winter of 1803—1804. He identified them simply as “Indian fortifications” with little idea as to the history of the mounds. The location of Cahokia was important for its location near the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers. Trade goods from many hundreds of miles away have been excavated in the area. The population of the city may have been as high as 40,000 at its peak during the 12th century, although this figure is under some debate. Either way, evidence of an organized city center with complex trade networks has been documented. When starting a study of Native Americans, it would serve us well to recall Cahokia’s complexity.