Synopses & Reviews
The ancient capital of Cahokia and a series of lesser population centers developed in the Mississippi valley in North America between the eighth and fifteenth centuries AD, leaving behind an extraordinarily rich archaeological record. Cahokiaâs gigantic pyramids, finely crafted artifacts, and dense population mark it as the founding city of the Mississippian civilization, formerly known as the âmoundâbuilders. As Cahokian ideas and objects were widely sought, a cultural and religious ripple effect spread across the mid-continent and into the South. In its wake, population migrations and social upheavals transformed social life along the ancient Mississippi River. In this important new survey, Timothy Pauketat outlines the development of Mississippian civilization, presenting a wealth of archaeological evidence and advancing our understanding of the American Indians whose influence extended into the founding moments of the United States and lives on today in American archaeology.
Synopsis
The ancient city of Cahokia developed in the Mississippi valley in North America a millennium ago and has left an extraordinarily rich archaeological record. In this important new survey, Timothy Pauketat outlines the emergence of Cahokia and Mississippian civilization between the eighth and fifteenth centuries AD, presenting a wealth of archaeological evidence and advancing our understanding of the origins of government and the spread of political culture. Focus is placed on the linchpin of this period, the Cahokia site, and on currents of village life, political unification, resistance and ethnogenesis.
Synopsis
The ancient city of Cahokia developed in the Mississippi valley in North America a millennium ago and has left an extraordinarily rich archaeological record. In this important new survey, Timothy Pauketat offers an outline of the development of Mississippian civilization, presenting a wealth of archaeological evidence.
Table of Contents
1. Civilization in North America; 2. Geography, resources, and the Mississippian ethnoscape; 3. Villages along the Mississippi; 4. Early Cahokia; 5. Greater Cahokia; 6. Mississippianization; 7. The struggle for identity; 8. Conclusion.