Cahokia’s Complexities: Ceremonies and Politics of the First Mississippian Farmers

173 Pages·2018·2.841 MB·English

by  Susan M. Alt

Cahokia’s
Complexities
Archaeology of the Ameri can South:
New Directions and Perspectives
SerieS editor
Christopher B. Rodning
editorial adviSory Board
Robin A. Beck
John H. Blitz
I. Randolph Daniel Jr.
Kandace R. Hollenbach
Patrick C. Livingood
Tanya M. Peres
Thomas J. Pluckhahn
Mark A. Rees
Amanda L. Regnier
Sissel Schroeder
Lynne P. Sullivan
Ian Thompson
Richard A. Weinstein
Gregory D. Wilson
A Dan Josselyn Memorial Fund Publication
Cahokia’s
Complexities
Ceremonies and Politics of the
First Mississippian Farmers
SUSAN M. ALT
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALA BAMA PRESS
Tuscaloosa
The University of Alab ama Press
Tuscaloosa, Ala bama 35487- 0380
uapress.ua.edu
Copyright © 2018 by the University of Ala bama Press
All rights reserved.
Inquiries about reproducing material from this work should be addressed to
the University of Ala bama Press.
Typeface: Bembo and Eurostile
Cover image: Grossmann site celt cache; courtesy of Susan M. Alt
Cover design: Michele Myatt Quinn
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Alt, Susan M., 1959– author.
Title: Cahokia’s complexities : ceremonies and politics of the first
Mississippian farmers / Susan M. Alt.
Description: Tuscaloosa : The University of Alabama Press, 2018. | Series:
Archaeology of the American south: new directions and perspectives |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017038248| ISBN 9780817319762 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780817391737 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Mississippian culture—Illinois—American Bottom.
| Cahokia Mounds State Historic Park (Ill.)—Antiquities. | Social
archaeology—Illinois—American Bottom. | Indians of North America—
Illinois—American Bottom—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC E99.M6815 A48 2018 | DDC 299.7—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017038248
For Frances Fasano Alt, who became my mom, and taught
me to always keep learning and trying to do and be better.

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Structure of the Book 1
1. Cahokia’s Complex Relationships 3
2. Cahokia’s Ritual- Residential Core 15
3. Cahokia’s Diverse Farmers 35
4. The Architecture of Grossmann 55
5. The Remains of Special Events 86
6. Complexity and Hybridity Reconsidered 119
References 131
Index 155

Illustrations
FigureS
Figure 1.1. Location of Cahokia in North America 4
Figure 2.1. Terminal Late Woodland (Edelhardt phase) courtyard group,
Tract 15B, Cahokia 19
Figure 2.2. Schematic map of Cahokia, ca. A.D. 1000 20
Figure 2.3. Schematic map of Cahokia, ca. A.D. 1100 22
Figure 2.4. Aerial view of Monks Mound at
the north end of the Grand Plaza 23
Figure 2.5. Lohmann phase subcommunity plaza,
Tract 15A, Cahokia 24
Figure 2.6. Cahokia’s central precincts:
Downtown Cahokia, East St. Louis, and St. Louis 27
Figure 2.7. Plan view of mortuary building
at the Lohmann site (11S49) 29
Figure 3.1. Plan map of Cahokia region, showing the Richland
Complex and sites discussed in this volume 36
Figure 3.2. Plan view of a portion of the Halliday site (11S27),
showing one courtyard group 40
Figure 3.3. T- shaped building in the central courtyard
of the Halliday site 42
Figure 3.4. Density (number) of spindle whorls
per jar from select sites 43