The people buried in one of America’s most famous prehistoric graves are not who we thought they were, researchers say.
Read MoreTag: Cahokia Mounds
America’s Largest Earthwork, Cahokia’s Monks Mound, May Have Been Built in Only 20 Years, Study Says
It was ten stories tall, and wider at the base than the Empire State Building. And nearly a thousand years ago, it was the centerpiece of the continent’s largest city…
Read More
Victims of Human Sacrifice at Cahokia Were Locals, Not ‘Foreign’ Captives, Study Finds
The practice of human sacrifice in America’s largest prehistoric city was more subtle and complex than experts once thought, new research suggests. Recent studies into the remains of sacrificial victims…
Read More
‘Megafloods’ Spurred Collapse of Ancient City of Cahokia, New Study Finds
It’s been attributed to war, crop failures, political strife, and even an epic fire. But new research in the heart of one of North America’s most influential prehistoric cultures suggests…
Read More
Ceremonial ‘Axis’ Road Discovered in Heart of Ancient City of Cahokia
After more than 85 years of study and speculation, recent digs have confirmed the presence of a ceremonial road running through the heart of Cahokia, the largest prehistoric city north…
Read More
Sacrificial and Common Graves Alike Reveal Diversity in Ancient City of Cahokia
Whether they died from natural causes or as sacrificial offerings, the residents of America’s largest prehistoric city were surprisingly diverse, with at least a third of the population having come…
Read MoreEpic Fire Marked ‘Beginning of the End’ for Ancient Culture of Cahokia, New Digs Suggest
Excavations in the Midwest have turned up evidence of a massive ancient fire that likely marked “the beginning of the end” for what was once America’s largest city, archaeologists say….
Read MoreInfamous Mass Grave of Young Women in Ancient City of Cahokia Also Holds Men: Study
The scene, discovered by archaeologists in Illinois more than 40 years ago, depicts one of the most extravagant acts of violence ever documented in ancient America: A thousand-year-old pit found…
Read More
Ancient Americans Pounded ‘Black Drink’ 6 Times Stronger Than Coffee
In the largest metropolis of what would become the United States, some residents occasionally consumed a “black drink” that was six times stronger than coffee — which could produce rather…
Read More
