The Mississippian Cultures

Plaza south of Monk's Mound. On the right is a conical mound, on the left, a platform mound. Other than Monk's Mound, which is unique, there are three shapes of mounds at Cahokia. These are platform mounds, which are supported structures made of perishable materials; conical mounds, whose function is unknown, but may have been burial mounds; and ridge topped mounds, in at least one of which were multiple burials. M. Fowler suggests that four of the ridge topped mounds at Cahokia may have marked the axes of the site.

Mound 72. In excavating this ridge topped mound, archaeologists discovered the location of a marker post which aligned with the southwest comer of Monk's Mound, some 800 yards to the north. Carbon dating gave the dates A.D. 980 + 50 and 930 + 58. The alignment with Monk's Mound, plus the fad that other ridge topped mounds are located in the extreme west, south and east of the site, may prove that Cahokia was oriented on a north south axis, as were most Mesoamerican sites, and that Mound 72 marks the centerline. This mound was used extensively as a burial site and contained some 300 individuals, buried in six different episodes. One episode included the burial of an individual whose body rested on a platform of thousands of shell beads. Probably accompanying this individual was a group of four men, whose heads and hands were missing. In addition, in a nearby pit were placed the bodies (side by side) of more than 50 young women, between the ages of 18 and 23. This episode almost surely indicates status differentiation as well as human sacrifice.

Knife found near the burial of a single individual, East Lobes of Monk's Mound. Cahokia Museum.

A cache of 15 concave polished stones were part of the grave goods of this burial. These are identical to the stones used by historical southeastern Indians in the chunky game. Cahokia Museum.

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