The exceptional environmental setting of the North Plaza, Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA

The North Plaza at Cahokia Mounds, the largest pre-contact site in North America, defies traditional archaeological conceptions of plaza space due to its unique wetland setting. Contrary to previous hypotheses suggesting it was drier during occupation, sedimentological analysis and stable carbon isotopes of buried soils reveal that the North Plaza remained inundated throughout Cahokia’s history. This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about how plazas functioned in Eastern Woodlands societies, necessitating a re-evaluation of their role as public and ceremonial spaces.

Rankin, C. G. (2022). The exceptional environmental setting of the North Plaza, Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA. World Archaeology, 54(1), 84–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2022.2077824