Cahokia's Mississippian cultural peak

Timeline

1. 1041–1044Core area of the Cahokia site · IllinoisCahokia and its satellite settlements on the Mississippi floodplain saw significant population growth; agricultural surplus supported larger-scale social division of labor and a resident population, and the urban form matured.
2. 1044–1048Monks Mound · IllinoisMonks Mound, North America's largest prehistoric platform mound, continued to be raised in layers, while ceremonial facilities such as the palisaded plaza and the Woodhenge timber circle were maintained and expanded, demonstrating elite centralized control over astronomy, calendars, and public rituals.
3. 1048–1050Mississippi River Basin · American MidwestThrough long-distance trade networks in shells, copper, obsidian, and shell beads, Cahokia exerted political and cultural influence over the Mississippian centers of eastern North America, achieving an unprecedented degree of regional integration.