Prairie Pages: Cahokie Mounds

              From A.D. 700 to 1400, a group of people built a
settlement near the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois
eight miles east of what is now St. Louis. The site, located near
the many rivers in the area, allowed the people to trade over
long distances, support a large population, and build one of the
most advanced prehistoric native cities in North America. There
are no written records about these people. Archaeologists and
other scientists study the site, the artifacts, and the human
remains there to learn about the history and culture of this
example of Mississippian Culture.
The ancient city was named Cahokia by local historians to
honor an Illiniwek Confederation tribe—the Cahokia—who
lived in the area starting in the 1600s. At its peak, the city
Glossary
prehistoric—before
written records
archaeologist—
scientist who studies
the people, customs,
and life of ancient
times in order to
construct a picture of
life in the past
artifact—any object
made by people
culture—the beliefs,
customs, practices,
and behavior of
groups of people
Mississippian Culture
—the prehistoric
mound builders; A.D.
800-1500
Prairie Pages
Vol. 2 # 4 Education Services Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Cahokia Mounds
Birds-eye view of Cahokia 1150 A.D. Artist Bill
Iseminger. Courtesy Cahokia Mounds State
Historic Site.
Glossary continued on next
page.