Cahokia: City of the Cosmos
English
By (author): James A. Brown John E. Kelly
The importance of Cahokia to native peoples and to the world community as a UNESCO World Heritage site resides in its creation as a Cosmological Center of the Universe. In order to begin comprehending where we are today in an interpretation that respects and pays homage to those that were instrumental in its conception and the implementation of a vision, one must understand the principles that underlie the Indigenous cosmology and rituals of Eastern North America. Mapping the mounds began as early as the late 18th century and thus represents the first efforts to depict what was readily seen.
Over 300 sites with earthen mounds have been documented in the region and range from isolated mounds honoring the dead thousands of years ago to an array of over 100 mounds in the case of Cahokia that in some instances honored the ancestors individually and collectively.
The editors investigations over nearly 25 years have helped elucidate the significance of Cahokia as an urban center and the processes leading to its creation. The history of this sacred place is highlighted by a number of major discontinuities that represent intellectual axis mundi of this discussion. However, it is the broader landscape perspectives over the centuries that serve to illuminate the vibrant colors of this narrative. See more
Will deliver when available. Publication date 28 Mar 2024