Summary of "Illinois Simpson Archaeology (S1E2) - Walking with the Ancestors: Cahokia: The city of the sun"
Summary of "Illinois Simpson Archaeology (S1E2) - Walking with the Ancestors: Cahokia: The City of the Sun"
This episode, hosted by Dr. Dale, offers an in-depth exploration of Cahokia, a major Mississippian archaeological site located in Illinois, often called the "City of the Sun." Cahokia is globally significant, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and represents one of the most complex pre-Columbian societies in North America. The video covers Cahokia’s archaeological features, cultural importance, and the lifestyle of the Mississippian people who built and inhabited the site between roughly 800 and 1450 A.D.
Main Ideas and Concepts
- Cahokia’s Significance
- Cahokia is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas.
- It was the center of Mississippian culture, which spanned a large geographic area across the Midwest and Southeast U.S.
- The site includes over 120 mounds, waterways, stockades, and a grid-like city layout oriented north-south-east-west.
- The Mississippian People
- They succeeded the Woodland period and preceded historic periods.
- Known for intensive agriculture (especially the “Three Sisters”: corn, beans, and squash), hunting, gathering, and complex social organization.
- Had a powerful elite class controlling resources, military, and religious activities.
- Monk’s Mound
- The largest mound at Cahokia, approximately 100 feet tall, built over several centuries with an estimated 16 million baskets of dirt.
- Contains multiple building stages, including temples and residential structures.
- Served as a political and ritual center.
- Archaeological Methodology and Features
- Excavations reveal residential areas with layered houses, storage pits, garbage/refuse pits, post holes (indicating building structures), and burial mounds.
- Feature archaeology is crucial for dating and understanding site usage through carbon dating and artifact analysis.
- Types of Mounds and Their Functions
- Flat-top mounds (e.g., Mound 60/Fox Mound) often supported structures like charnel houses for preparing the dead.
- Conical mounds (e.g., Mound 59) were used for burials.
- Ridge-top mounds marked city boundaries and sacred geography.
- Mound 72 – The Richest Burial Site
- Contained elaborate burials of elite individuals, mass sacrificial graves, and numerous grave goods including mica, marine shell beads, copper, and thousands of arrowheads sourced from across North America.
- Indicated a complex social and ritual system with evidence of non-local immigrants.
- Woodhenge
- A series of large timber circles used as a solar calendar to mark solstices and other important times of the year.
- Functioned as a timekeeping device for agricultural and ritual purposes, demonstrating advanced astronomical knowledge.
- The Stockade (Palisade Wall)
- A defensive wall enclosing the central precinct, including Monk’s Mound and other mounds, about 2 miles long with guard towers and bastions.
- Served both protective and social functions, separating elites from commoners but allowing festival access to all.
- Social and Political Organization
- Cahokia was likely home to around 20,000 people at its peak, with elites residing inside the palisade.
- Chiefs controlled ideology (religion and worldview), economy (resource distribution), and military activities.
- The Birdman Tablet exemplifies Mississippian cosmology involving upper world (gods), middle world (humans), and underworld (serpents).
- Cultural Legacy and Respect
- The video emphasizes respect for the traditional owners of the land, both past and present, and cautions about protocols such as not climbing or excavating mounds without permission.
- Cahokia’s culture was highly sophisticated, with knowledge and achievements that remain relevant and impressive today.
Methodology / Instructions Highlighted
- Visiting Cahokia
- Walk around the mounds to experience the landscape.
- Visit the Interpretive Center and museum for detailed exhibits on archaeology, geology, botany, and cultural history.
- Observe signage that explains archaeological phases and features.
- Archaeological Excavation Techniques
- Identify post holes to reconstruct building structures.
- Use carbon dating (charcoal, bones) from midden and pit features for chronological sequencing.
- Analyze artifact assemblages (shell beads, arrowheads, copper) to understand trade and social status.
- Understanding Site Layout
- Recognize the grid pattern organizing the city and mound placement.
- Note the three mound types and their distinct functions (ceremonial, burial, boundary).
Category
Educational
