Prehistoric Settlement in the Central Mississippi River Valley in Illinois and Missouri

For a relatively brief period, the central United States witnessed a florescence of prehistoric culture focussed on the Mississippi river site of Cahokia. The site, which dates to approximately 1000 A.D., may have been inhabited by up to 50,000 individuals. It likely controlled a stretch of river and hinterland of 250 miles in length, and the construction of temple mounds indicates a stratified society with complex religious ritual. Dr. Milner and his students will conduct archaeological research which will provide insight into the Cahokia phenomenon and set it into a broader regional context. Over the course of two summers, Dr. Milner, assisted by two graduate students, will visit and study materials from a series of Cahokia related sites located in the Mississippi River floodplain and adjacent tributary drainages. Although they will visit many sites to examine surface remains and geographical situation, they will rely primarily on data collected by previous excavators. They will work at a number of institutions which house such materials and study both field maps and notes as well as excavated remains. In particular they will focus on ceramics and examine a large body of data using a single recording and analysis scheme. This will allow direct cross site comparison. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will address the archaeologically significant question of how such complex societies as Cahokia arise and are maintained. Some archaeologists have argued that the site of Cahokia itself exercised direct and tight control over outlying settlements. Others postulate a more indirect rule with a significant degree of local autonomy. Secondly, the project will make maximal use of data collected by many investigators over a number of years, and thus increases the significance and contribution of past work. Finally, the project will assist in the scientific training of two graduate students.