The Ramey Incised Pottery of Cahokia (IL) USA: Diffusion and Reinterpretation of its Iconographic Message

Peripheral communities in the Mississippian culture did not passively adopt Cahokia's cosmological iconography but reinterpreted it based on local knowledge and histories. This insight challenges traditional views that such adoption was purely a desire to participate in Cahokian cultural phenomena. The study examines Ramey Incised pottery, which transmits a cosmological model related to upper and lower worlds, found outside the American Bottom region where Cahokia is located. By analyzing these artifacts, researchers reveal that peripheral inhabitants actively engaged with and adapted Cahokian iconography, reflecting their unique cultural contexts.

Mattioli, M. (2020). The Ramey Incised Pottery of Cahokia (IL) USA: Diffusion and Reinterpretation of its Iconographic Message. Zea Books. https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1241