What sparked the fire that devastated one of oldest American cities?
A mysterious fire has destroyed one of North America's greatest civilizations. The city of Cahokia, whose secrets are kept underground in St. Lousi, Missouri, was destroyed by a very powerful blaze that occurred around 1170. After the disaster, the city's lifestyle radically changed: defense walls, fortified buildings and a solar symbol were built. What made the people of Cahokia so afraid? The details of a baffling mystery in history.
Cahokia, the ancient Native American city, was built around 600 AD and in its heyday was home to about 15 thousand inhabitants. The surrounding area was dotted with agricultural fields and 120 pyramids, similar to Mayan temples. However, in 1170, a very powerful fire destroyed the main ceremonial square in the center of the city, gutting many of the buildings built around it, resulting in a series of significant consequent changes in society, culture and architecture.
What leaves scholars most disconcerted are the social and architectural changes that occurred in the aftermath of the catastrophe, such as the appearance of defensive walls and fortified buildings, almost as if the inhabitants wanted to defend themselves from an looming threat.
In the original city, the rich persons lived in large houses, while after the blaze all the housing structures were decidedly smaller. Numerous clay slabs were found with curious solar symbolism. Was it the symbol of a new spiritual or political regime in the area?
What is clear is that the fire marked a major turning point in Cahokia's civilization, and perhaps the beginning of the end. But why?
Thanks to the excavations carried out in the area, archeologist found traces of the great fire. The approximately 100 thatched and wood buildings that were destroyed by the fire were all filled with luxury objects, such as terracotta vases, jewelry and animal bones used in religious ceremonies, items that were generally not found in other "normal" houses.
In none of the destroyed houses were found pits for storing garbage or normal household items. The structures appear to have been hastily constructed, indicating that they may have been temporary structures, but still served an important function.
A curious fact is that the houses were not rebuilt after the fire. Previous excavations in the Cahokia area have shown that when houses were destroyed by fire, the inhabitants tended to rebuild them exactly on top of the ashes of the previous ones. Archeologist suspect that all these clues point to the fact that the city did not fall victim to enemies or enemy fire, but that it may have been the center of a mass sacrifice. It is not uncommon for mound builders to burn structures for ceremonial purposes.
The problem is that a ritual performed on this scale is unprecedented. Some scholars have hypothesized that the fire was symbolic of the city's decline in power and the sacrifice was part of a ritual aimed at restoring the ancient status.
Assuming that this was the purpose of the fire, it must be said that the ritual was a complete failure. In fact, by 1400, Cahokia and its surroundings were almost completely abandoned.
Cahokia, at the height of its development, covered an area of about 6 square kilometers and became famous for its earthen mounds, which constitute the largest prehistoric constructions in North America. Furthermore, numerous findings have shown that the natives of the area were able to construct calendars to mark solstices and equinoxes.
Archaeologists believe the mounds were built as a place of worship and held important religious significance for the inhabitants, with tombs within them and ceremonial altars placed on top. Like the Maya, the Cahokia civilization was known for rituals involving human sacrifice, such as the dismemberment and burial of people who were still alive.
