Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power

337 Pages·1997·21.98 MB·English

by  Thomas E. Emerson

Cahokia and the
Archaeology of Power

Cahokia and the
Archaeology of Power
Thomas E. Emerson
The University ofA labama Press
Tuscaloosa
Copyright © 1997
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
∞
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Emerson, Thomas E., 1945–
Cahokia and the archaeology of power / Thomas E. Emerson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8173-0888-1 (alk. paper)
1. Cahokia Site (East Saint Louis, III.) 2. Indians of North
America—Illinois—American Bottom—Antiques. 3. Mississippi
culture—Illinois—American Bottom. 4. Social archaeology—Illi-
nois—American Bottom. 5. American Bottom (Ill.)—Antiques.
I. Title.
E78.I3.E45 1997
977.3'89—dc21 97-13085
ISBN 978-0-8173-0888-9 (pbk : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-8173-8365-7 (electronic)
ToJo

Contents
List of Figures IX
List of Tables x
Acknowledgments XUI
1. Introduction 1
2. The Conceptual Parameters 9
3. The Cultural-Historical Contexts 43
4. Mississippian Rural Settlement 61
5. Cahokian Rural Nodes: The Archaeological Evidence 81
6. Interpreting Cahokian Rural Settlements 151
7. The Cahokian Symbolic World 193
8. Cahokian Rural Cults 225
9. Conclusions 249
References Cited 269
Index 307

Figures and Tables
FIGURES
2.1 Structure, System, and Structuration 11
2.2 Proposed Manifestations of Cahokian Elite Hegemony 37
3.1 Location of Sites in Text 45
4.1 Models of Settlement Articulation 72
5.1 Lohmann Phase Julien Nodal Household 84
5.2 Lohmann Phase Range Civic-Ceremonial Node (RML-l) 89
5.3 Lohmann Phase Range Civic-Ceremonial Node (RML-2) 90
5.4 Lohmann Phase BBB Motor Priest-Mortuary
Ceremonial Node 96
5.5 BBB Motor Site Structures 16 and 176 98
5.6 Stirling Phase Labras Lake Civic Node 103
5.7 Stirling Phase Range Civic Node 108
5.8 Stirling Phase Julien Civic Node 112
5.9 Stirling Phase BBB MotorTemple-Mortuary
Ceremonial Node 116
5.10 BBB Motor Site Structures 87 and 52 118
5.11 Stirling Phase Sponemann Ceremonial Node 125
5.12 Sponemann Site Structures 282, 180, and 259 128
5.13 Sponemann Site Structures 248 and 173 130
5.14 Sponemann Site Structures 144 and 227 131
5.15 Moorehead Phase Julien Housecluster 136