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