Decline of Cahokia

Timeline

1. 1290–1295Cahokia mound city · IllinoisArchaeological strata show that around the 1290s, residential density in Cahokia's core area declined markedly and peripheral satellite settlements were abandoned one after another. The maize-based agricultural economy and labor mobilization system that had once supported a vast population could no longer be sustained, and residents dispersed to surrounding areas.
2. 1295–1299Monks Mound ceremonial area · IllinoisLarge public ceremonies and burial activities around Monks Mound decreased, and imports of long-distance trade goods such as shell and copper ceased. Mississippian regional political integration collapsed, and Cahokia's status as a ceremonial and power center essentially ended by the late 13th century.