Decline of Cahokia (1160s)

Timeline

1. 1161–1164Cahokia core area · IllinoisArchaeological strata and house remains show declining residential density in Cahokia's core area, with residents migrating to smaller settlements along the Mississippi River; the city's scale shrank greatly compared to its 11th-century peak.
2. 1165–1168Around Monks Mound · IllinoisMaintenance and expansion of large public mounds such as Monks Mound essentially stopped, with insufficient timber and labor resources, indicating the elite's declining ability to organize and mobilize, and the weakening of the city's religious and political functions.
3. 1169–1170Middle Mississippi River · Mississippi River basinImports of exotic luxury goods and shell beads declined, and emerging regional centers within the Mississippian culture area took over some trade functions, further eroding Cahokia's status as an interregional hub.