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The lost city of Cahokia: Archaeologists uncoverNative Americans' sprawling metropolis under StLouisBy Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:05 PM on 4th January 2012

A sprawling Native American metropolis which lay hidden beneath a modern city for a millennium has been uncovere

Archaeologists digging in preparation for the Mississippi River spanning bridge - which will connect Missouri and Illinodiscovered the lost city of Cahokia beneath modern St Louis.

Their findings pointed to a 'sophisticated, sprawling metropolis stretching across both sides of the Mississippi', AndreLawler told the journal Science.

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Sprawling: An artist impression of what the ancient Native American city of Cahokia,which was discovered beneath modern St Louis, would have looked like



Current: The 100ft Monks Mound is in the centre of the Cahokia Mounds State HistoricSite

An aerial view of Monks Mound with tiny cars visible in the background reveals the site'sscope



Cahokia, which is near Collinsville in Illinois, was initially believed to be just a 'seasonal encampment'. But experts nohink it was a location of much more significance.

Mr Lawler wrote: 'A millennium ago, this strategic spot along the Mississippi River was an affluent neighbourhood ofNative Americans, set amid the largest concentration of people and monumental architecture north of what is nowMexico.

Back then, hundreds of well-thatched rectangular houses, carefully aligned along the cardinal directions, stood here,overshadowed by dozens of enormous earthen mounds flanked by large ceremonial plazas.

Cahokia proper was the only pre-Columbian city north of the Rio Grande, and it was large even by European andMesoamerican standards of the day, drawing immigrants from hundreds of kilometres around to live, work, andparticipate in mass ceremonies.'

Working away: Archaeologists found in the latest series of excavations evidence ofmore than 500 thatched houses



Peak: The city would have been home to more than 100,000 Native Americans



The latest excavations uncovered evidence of more than 500 thatched houses. At its peak the city would have beenhome to 100,000 Native Americans.

A millennium ago, this strategic spot along the Mississippi Riverwas an affluent neighbourhood of Native Americans, set amid theargest concentration of people and monumental architecturenorth of what is now Mexico.'

- Andrew Lawler

But Cahokia lacked the density of Mayan or European settlements - instead appearing to have organised itself alongnes of 'modern American urban sprawl'.

The remains of the ancient city can be seen at the 2,000 acre Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, which lies just acrhe Mississippi River from St Louis.

The city, the most sophisticated Native civilisation north of Mexico, was inhabited from 700AD to 1400 and known forarge, man-made earthen structures.

ts original population was thought to have been in the hundreds, but in the 11th century swelled to tens of thousands

Impression: What Cahokia's Monks Mound would have looked like



Populated: The city, the most sophisticated Native civilisation north of Mexico, wasinhabited from 700AD to 1400 and known for its large, man-made earthen structures



At its peak between 1100 and 1200, the city covered nearly six square miles and boasted a population of 100,000people.

Residents built more than 120 earthen mounds. A total of 68 are preserved within the site, with the largest central oncalled Monks Mound.

At 1,000 feet long, 800 feet wide and 100 feet tall, an estimated 22 million cubic feet of earth was used to build it.

Satellite: Cahokia, the remains of which are seen here from above in 1988, was asprawling Native American city



The Cahokian population is thought to have started to fall after the year 1200, and two centuries later the entire site hbeen abandoned. Theories vary as to why it was vacated, including climate changes, war, disease, and drought.

The site is still thought to be sacred and Native Americans believe it is a source of powerful psychic energy. TheCahokia Mounds State Historic Site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and as a World Heritage Sn 1982.

Comments (17)

An Indian civilization inhabited the Illinois area from 900 to 1500 AD

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George H.Hill, Richmond: Not to wreck religion with facts, but the Mayans were found only in the Yucatan peninsula and surrounding areas.ust because some guy living 100 years ago claimed to pick up some gold tablets from God doesn't mean he actually did. Don't accuse scienf having agendas when you've got one of your own. At least scientists have facts to back up their theories, not just a book written by a nutc

Alexandra, Bagram, Afghanistan, 05/1/2012 04:18

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Report abusewhoa! they are building a bridge that will span the Mississippi, connecting Illinois and Missouri! That will be so awesome!

taylor, Chicago, USA, 05/1/2012 04:02

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Report abuseThere were large "Mayan" cities all around the coast of Florida,up into Georgia.This is no breaking news.The dates of various sites areascinating.An interesting vol.,called The Book Of Mormon explains how those colonies came to be.The FORTIFIED citties that spread up th

Ohio River valley have a seperate origin. The largest of the Florida cities were in the 20,000 range,still large by the standards of the time.Thaised corn on a massive scale in S.Florida.They had very sophisticated irrigation systems."Experts" are so often wrong about these ancient

peoples.They try hard to fit uncomfortable facts into their predetermined agenda.

George H.Hill, Richmond,VIRGINIA, 05/1/2012 00:41


Report abuseThese are not dirt "buildings", they were mounds meant to have structures built on top or burials underneath. Also, the Anasazi "cities" of theSouthwest were ceremonial centers, not cities based around a stratified society based on farming.

Irene, Chicago, USA, 05/1/2012 00:15


Report abuseTo get an accurate picture of Plains Indians read Mark Twain. And it is not pretty. - james usa, garrison usa, 4/1/2012 18:18 --- Native indian

went from being 100% of the population of North America to being 0.86% of the North American population today. And yet the Indians are thbad guys, right? So says Mark Twain and James from USA. Two non-natives living on the North American continent! Nothing like an unbiasource!

Howard, London, 04/1/2012 23:39


Report abuseCahokia proper was the only pre-Columbian city north of the Rio Grande" I guess that Poverty Point in Louisiana or the cities that the Anas

built throughout Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico don't count?? I would have also included the palisaded longhouse villages of theroquois Nation, but they probably weren't large enough to be considered a city....

Heidi, Omaha, United States, 04/1/2012 21:18


Report abusethought I was going to be reading new information about the mounds which once stood in St. Louis and were leveled to build St Louis. It wo

be interesting to know if any artifacts were found where these mounds once existed or if the artifacts that were carted away in the 1800's weound (they are probably in a dump somewhere). Instead, the story centered on Cahokia which is across the river in Illinois and is old news boes put a focus on maintaining the site which could be a problem due to Illinois' budget crisis.

elly, Dryden, NY, 04/1/2012 21:12


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A sprawling Native American metropolis which lay hidden beneath a modern city for a millennium has been uncovered. ... Archaeologistsigging in preparation for the Mississippi River spanning bridge - which will connect Missouri and Illinois - discovered the lost city of Cahokia

beneath modern St Louis." St. Louis was founded in 1764, and only incorporated as a city in 1822. Whichever date you use, the "modern citSt. Louis has existed nowhere near a millennium!

Stephen S., Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 04/1/2012 20:19


Report abuseThese mounds were a meeting place, all the local tribes for hundreds of miles would come here to trade once a year to trade their excessaluables, Many primitive cultures have done the same thing. The fact that its so close to a river confluence only cements my theory. You cahank me later when Scientists prove this.

Inspector Smartypants, Hogwash, State of Disbelief, 04/1/2012 19:27


Report abusethink the reporter missed the significance of this story. Scientists now think the Maya may have migrated northward when climate change

brought an end of their civilization in Central America. The mounds in Georgia have been tied to the Maya. I would guess archeologists wouke to declare this as the most northern Mayan city!

DanZee, Boston, MA, 04/1/2012 19:01


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