Cahokia Mounds as painted by William Iseminger

Though the first small settlements at Cahokia were around AD 700 by Late Woodland Indians, the Mississippian culture began at around AD 1000 when a highly structured community with a complex social and political system began to emerge. They grew corn, squash, and seed- bearing plants. This stable food base, combined with hunting, fishing, and gathering, enabled them to support larger populations in more permanent communities. After AD 1050, Cahokia quickly expanded and became a regional center, surrounded by farmsteads, villages, and satellite towns with numerous mounds. It peaked from AD 1050-1200, sprawling over six square miles and “Greater Cahokia” extended into Missouri, across the great Mississippi River. The ancient site was organized around Monks Mound and the 40-acre Grand Plaza, where public gatherings took place.