Cahokia

Mississippian Culture Begins

800

-The Native Americans were coming out of the Late Woodland Period.
-This period saw the beginning of agriculture and a a transition from spears and atlatls to bow and arrows.
-The culture was slow to take hold and did not touch all of the tribes in the U.S.

Cahokia is Developed

850

-Cahokia began to be built in the 9th century.
-Located in modern-day Illinois.
-It was not originally called Cahokia. The site was named by archaeologists after the Native American tribe that lived in the area during the 17th century when Europeans first arrived in Illinois.

Middle Mississippian Period

1100

-An Increase in complexity, sedentary lifestyles, and widespread agriculture.
-The Three Sister crops of maize, beans, gourds become a staple of the society.
-Cahokia became the the center of the Mississippian Culture.
-Growing from 1,000 people in 1050 to 15,000 people in 1100, Cahokia was the largest city in North America until the Europeans arrived.

Cahokia is Abandoned

1350

-It is unknown why the city was abandoned.
-Archaeologists theorize it could be massive floods, overhunting, deforestation, warfare, or some combination of some or all of these.