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A pre-Columbian metropolis named Cahokia was one of the first cities in North America. It was also very large, and in its heyday, it was bigger than many modern cities like London.
The city was spread out over six square miles and flourished from A.D. 1050 to 1500. It contained at least 120 mounds and a population of 10,000 to 20,000.
Cahokia was the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico. It was located across from the Mississippi River and today’s St. Louis. The inhabitants of Cahokia did not use a writing system, so the names of the people who built the mounds have been lost to time.
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, the city was named after the Cahokia Indigenous people who occupied the area in the 17th century. However, they were not related to the original occupants.
Many archaeological finds have been made within the city, such as evidence of a caffeinated drink and a popular game called “Chunkey.” In addition, there were stone tablets carved with images and the remains of jewelry and headdresses, suggesting that the inhabitants were capable of advanced copper working.
Warmer temperatures may have aided the city’s growth. Temperatures around the globe were unusually warm at the time Cahokia was thriving. The higher temperatures resulted in increased rainfall across the American Midwest, allowing maize farming to prosper.
After 1200, which was around the time of a major flood, Cahokia began to decline. The settlement was abandoned by 1400. It’s unclear why the city fell, but it was thought the residents left after a drought caused crops to fail.
The idea was debunked when carbon isotopes in the soil at the site were studied. They revealed the plants had stayed consistent throughout the drought.
The people of Cahokia likely had irrigation or engineering skills to survive the drought. There may have been a storage system for grains, and the people could’ve eaten fish, deer, bears, birds, fruits, and nuts.
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