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Cahokia

A painting of Cahokia Mounds State Historic site by William R. Iseminger. Source: William R. Iseminger

Cahokia: The Rise and Fall of an Indigenous Empire

A young Indigenous man, a Pilgrim, has been walking all day carrying a large bundle basket on his back. His long black hair is tied up in a bun at the back of his head, and he has new, round,...
Tree rings. Source: tomeyk / Adobe Stock.

Can Tree Rings Explain the Demise of a Lost Civilization? (Video)

In the quest to uncover the mystery behind the fall of the once-vibrant Cahokia , archaeologists have turned to an unexpected source: tree ring records, aka dendrochronology. By 1150 AD, Cahokia,...
Fantasy image of a lost civilization underwater.	Source: Максим Горбанев/ Adobe Stock

Nine Civilizations That Met Mysterious (and Unfortunate) Ends

One of the most fascinating subjects to study throughout history is the rise and fall of various civilizations. While in some cases we have an understanding of the evolution and downfall of these...
Fence surrounding the largest mound at Aztalan State Park. Source: Good Free Photos

Aztec Pyramids in Wisconsin? Welcome to Aztalan State Park

The enormous earth mounds which can be visited at Aztalan State Park in Wisconsin are remnants of an ancient culture that first settled the area around the 11th or 12th century AD. These massive...
The Little Ice Age and Its Giant Impact on Human History

The Little Ice Age and Its Giant Impact on Human History

The Little Ice Age is a period tentatively defined as running from the 13 th /14 th to the 19 th century in which the northern hemisphere of Earth endured a limited but substantial cooling period...
Cahokia figurine. (Public Domain) Background: Close up of colorful gem glass corn on cob. (Picture Partners) Cahokia was an ancient metropolis that grew as its people cultivated corn.

North America’s Ancient Metropolis Cahokia Was Built On Corn

Corn cultivation spread from Mesoamerica to what is now the American Southwest by about 4000 BC, but how and when the crop made it to other parts of North America is still a subject of debate. In a...
Ancient Poop Busts Myth of Lost Cahokia Tribe

Ancient Poop Busts Myth of Lost Cahokia Tribe

A University of California, Berkeley, archaeologist has dug up ancient human feces, among other demographic clues, to challenge the narrative around the legendary demise of Cahokia , North America's...
Unraveling the Mystery of the Beaded Burial: Skeletons Identified as Female Nobles

Unraveling the Mystery of the Beaded Burial: Skeletons Identified as Female Nobles

In the ruins of the Native American city Cahokia, which flourished hundreds of years ago, there is a burial mound with the remains of a royal or noble couple. Buried around them in the mound are the...
Monk’s Mound, Cahokia

Monks Mound at Cahokia built in decades, not 250 years as previously thought

By studying plant seeds and spores in the soil used to construct Monk’s Mound, the largest prehistoric earthen structure in North America, archaeologists have determined that it was not built over...
Mound 72 mass sacrifice of 53 young women at Cahokia

Sacrifice victims at Cahokia were locals not foreign captives

Researchers had speculated that victims of human sacrifice found at the Native American site Cahokia in Illinois were brought in from outside the area, perhaps as tribute. But a new analysis of the...
An illustration of North America's first city, Cahokia.

The Rise and Fall of Cahokia: Did Megafloods Spell the End of the Ancient Metropolis?

The mysterious demise of the ancient city of Cahokia has long remained unexplained, but now research suggests catastrophic megafloods may have devastated crops and food stores, and forced residents...
Ancient Cahokia Mounds

Cahokia: The Largest Mississippian Archaeological Site on the North American Continent

From about 700 to 1400 CE, Cahokia flourished as one of the greatest cities in the world. The complex society at Cahokia prospered in the fertile lands off of the Mississippi River (situated across...
Ten Cities from the Ancient World

Ten Amazing Cities from the Ancient World

From cities that lay hidden for millennia under desert sands, to Bronze Age metropolises, jungle cities, and entire complexes constructed on coral reefs, giant rocks, underground caverns, or carved...
Ceremonial Road in the Ancient City of Cahokia

Ceremonial Road Discovered in the Ancient City of Cahokia

A new study published in the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology has revealed the presence of a major ceremonial road running through the heart of Cahokia, according to a new report in Western Digs...
Great City of Cahokia

Scientists seek answers for the abandonment of the Great City of Cahokia

The ancient Native American city of Cahokia, located is Collinsville, Illinois, is known to have been one of the most sophisticated pre-Columbian settlements north of Mexico. At its peak, it was home...
Ancient city of Cahokia

What Caused Fire Which Destroyed America’s Most Prosperous Ancient City?

The ancient Native American city of Cahokia, which was built around 600 AD, was once home to 15,000 inhabitants, stretches of farmland, wealthy communities and surrounded by 120 pyramids similar to...