Topic 1.4 State R

State Building in the Americas

The Mississippian Culture

• First Large Scale Civilization:

  • Emerged around the 700s or 800s CE in the Americas.
  • Known for building enormous earthen mounds within the Mississippi River Valley.

• Mound Characteristics:

  • Mounds were significant structures; some reached heights of 160 feet, equivalent to approximately 12 football fields (in length, implying size and scale).

• Largest Mound:

  • The largest and most notable mound was Cahokia, which served as a central hub for the Mississippian culture.

Government and Society

• Rigid Class Structure:

  • The society was organized hierarchically into distinct classes.
    • Chief: Often referred to as the "Great Sun," indicating a possibly religious or semi-divine status.
    • Upper Class: Priests and nobles governed the society, wielding significant power and influence.
    • Lower Class: Composed of farmers, hunters, merchants, artisans, enslaved people, and generally prisoners of war who performed labor for the higher classes.

• Gender Roles:

  • Generally, women were responsible for farming and domestic tasks, whereas men primarily engaged in hunting.

• Matrilineal Society:

  • Social standing was determined by women’s lineage. For instance, if a chief (the Great Sun) died, his position and inheritance would not be passed to his own son but rather to his sister's son. This practice demonstrates the importance of female lineage in determining societal hierarchy and inheritance.

The Decline of Mississippian Civilization

• Timeline of Decline:

  • By the year 1600, the Mississippian civilization experienced a significant decline, leading to the abandonment of Cahokia around 1450 and other large cities.

• Causes of Decline:

  • Historians present various theories on the decline:
  1. Environmental Factors:
     • Possible changes in weather patterns leading to drought and crop failures that would affect food supply and economy.
  2. Disease:
     • The arrival of Europeans introduced diseases that decimated the population, further contributing to the decline in structural integrity and population of urban centers.

Chaco & Mesa Verde Civilization

• Subsequent Civilizations:

  • Following the Mississippian period, additional complex societies emerged.
    • Innovations in Arid Regions: These cultures adapted to dry climates, developing innovative methods for water collection, transportation, and storage.

• Environmental Adaptations:

  • In regions where trees were scarce, societies relied on careful management of the limited wood resources available to them.

• Notable Cultures:

  • Chaco: Known for constructing massive housing made from stone and clay.
  • Mesa Verde: Recognized for building multi-story homes into the sides of cliffs, utilizing bricks made from sandstone to create durable structures.

• Decline of Chaco and Mesa Verde:

  • Both civilizations faced a decline in the late 13th century due to detrimental effects from a prolonged dry climate that impacted their agricultural practices and water supply.