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Illinois

One Of North America's Largest Cities Was Right Here In Illinois... Until It Vanished

By Laura | Published August 20, 2016

Not so long ago – around 900 AD – one of the largest, most sophisticated societies lived in southern Illinois. They had complex political and religious systems. They were many in number. And just like that, they disappeared. So what happened? Clues to the story can be found at the place they once lived: Cahokia Mounds.

Much like our towns are now, the people of Cahokia lived in homes lined up with thatched roofs--they were very much about their community.

They were also very much about faith, which is why they built Monks Mound--a large mound that is entirely man made from millions of buckets of dirt.

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Things were going great for Cahokia--they were dominating the region and getting along well.

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But then suddenly, they all disappeared. Many theories have been put forth.

Some people think that things weren't as rosy we think, and that political disagreement led this once tight-knit group to disband.

Others blame the decline of Cahokia on weather and climate changes that were unfavorable.

There is evidence that they moved north--up to Wisconsin--which is where some of their pottery has been discovered by researchers.

We might not ever know conclusively why Cahokia was no more, but we do have a good idea of how they lived.

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Visit Cahokia Mounds and get a great sense of what it was like to live in Cahokia.

Have you been here before? What did you think? Here are more things to do along the Mississippi River.

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