Cahokia mound city

Timeline

1. c. 700–1000Cahokia valley · CahokiaFrom the 7th to 10th centuries, settlements along the Mississippi developed from scattered villages into a regional center, beginning to raise mounds, open plazas, and build palisades; agricultural surplus and long-distance exchange supported population growth, laying the foundation for subsequent large-scale urban expansion.
2. 1041–1050Monks Mound and central plaza · CahokiaIn the 1040s–1050s, Cahokia entered its heyday; Monks Mound rose to about 30 meters, the largest artificial mound in North America; dozens of mounds of various sizes and palisaded villages surrounded the central plaza, with an estimated population exceeding 10,000, linked to the wider Mississippian world through trade in copper, shells, mica, and other goods.
3. c. 1200–1350Cahokia site area · CahokiaAfter the 12th century the city's core functions weakened, large-scale mound construction ceased, and the population dispersed to surrounding satellite settlements; climate change, resource pressure, and political reorganization led to the loss of its central status, and by the mid-14th century the site was largely abandoned.