Real Unsolved Mysteries Garyallen98

9 Downfall Of Cahokia

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About 1,000 years ago, Cahokia was North America's greatest city, composed of 120 mounds spread out over 15 square kilometers (6 mi2) of the mighty Mississippi-adjacent floodplain. At one point, the city boasted a population of 20,000, larger than that of London and other prominent European centers. Some estimates place an even more impressive 40,000 inhabitants within its ancient city limits.The settlement flourished until about 600-700 years ago when its population-already in decline and reeling from the political struggles inherent to all civilizations-was apparently decimated by some mysterious natural disaster. Now it appears that a series of megafloods was to blame. The discovery was somewhat accidental. Researchers were dredging up sediment from Horseshoe Lake near the city's epicenter. They were in search of fossilized remains, artifacts, and pollen to gauge the extent of human activity at Cahokia.Instead, they found evidence for numerous past flooding events, which regularly occurred before Cahokia was founded. The floods took a hiatus and then returned with a vengeance around the time that the population declined. Therefore, the city's great riparian lifeline, which ensured its existence, guaranteed its downfall as well.8 Mysterious Cave Mural