Archaeologists Dispute Theory of Largest Native American City's Abandonment [View all]

Published Jul 05, 2024 at 10:36 AM EDT

By Aristos Georgiou
Science and Health Reporter

Archaeologists have challenged a popular theory in a recent study about the abandonment of an ancient city that was the largest Indigenous settlement in North America.

Cahokia was an iconic Native American city located in what is now southern Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from present-day St. Louis, Missouri. The settlement was occupied from around A.D. 1050 and reached its apex around a half-century later.

The city served as the center of a Native American civilization known as the Mississippian culture, which flourished across what is now the Southeastern, Eastern and Midwestern United States from around the 8th century to the era of European colonization. In its heyday, Cahokia is thought to have been home to tens of thousands of people, making it one of the largest settlements in the world at the time.

But by around A.D. 1400, the city appears to have been practically abandoned. The factors driving the settlement's demise have long been shrouded in mystery and the subject of debate among scholars, with previous research indicating that a number of drivers were involved.

More:
https://www.newsweek.com/archaeologists-dispute-theory-largest-native-american-city-abandonment-1921529