In Illinois, United States, far and wide one can find traces of the North American Indians who inhabited these lands long before the first European explorers. Here the remains of all the primitive settlements, consisting of clumsy structures, or of cities formed not by houses but by monumental mounds, are often to be found. Mounds are huge mounds of stone and earth, at the deepest point of which are tombs, vaults, or other structures. In one form or another, in addition to the structures, the Indians left behind many objects of standard life, farming, and peculiar notation. These objects can be used by experts to determine whether a particular consensus belongs to one clan or another.
A truly non-identical case is that of Cahokia. It is the largest group of mounds in North America, striking in size. The total number of the largest structures is 109, of which one mound is the largest and apparently the main one. It had as many as four tiers and a yard area of 19 hectares. A constantly renewed three-kilometer paling was erected around it. It is supposed that there was a huge temple at the top of this drift. In the rest part of the settlement all barrows are located in full geometrical order, and their sizes are almost identical.
Consequently, what is so interesting about this tomb of older architecture? The fact is that, despite the obvious criterion of the Municipality to Mississippian farming (only they erected similar Mounds, though on a smaller scale), we cannot establish it with the data. Inexplicably, such a huge consensus left no trace in the form of the same details or letters. Neither the name of the municipality nor, much less, the number of the population can be ascertained, researchers have not established clearly the clay pots and ceramic tablets which were invariably left by members of the culture below.
The only clear link with this culture was established by scholars at the top of one of the smallest mounds in the municipality. It was the burial of some chief, made in the shape of a falcon spreading its wings, which is how the Mississippi Indians were buried. Except that in no way did they do what the burial surroundings indicate – the mass burial of un-aged men with severed heads and hands. Forensic examination shows that they were killed alive. It turns out that a mortal sacrifice was made in monstrous portions. But why, given the significance of the burial, and who is in it, is it located not on the main mound, but instead on the shallowest mound?
In addition to the mortal remains, scientists have also located a huge treasure trove of arrowheads of various lines and peoples, collected from every corner of the Americas. How could they have ended up in one place? The explanation may be the use of arrowheads as currency for trade, but nowhere else did the Mississippi Cultivation conduct this type of trade. Either, it was really delicate at the time to collect consistently numerous arrowheads from a variety of places, and if these are indeed traces of trade, where is the confirmation that these were visiting traders? It is impossible to be similarly active without leaving mountains of trash and unclaimed goods.
Another question that no bone cannot answer is where have all the inhabitants of the mounds gone? There is no hint of war or mass death by epidemic. By all assumptions, the population left on their own, making sure for some reason that not a single item was left behind. It took more than half a century before people reappeared in these areas, but for some reason they did not want to destroy the mounds they had erected for habitation. Perhaps the newcomers thought there was some deadly curse on the mound? European missionaries who landed in the 17th century named it Cahokia, after the Illinoos who had lived there; they mistakenly believed that it was the Illinoisans who had created this architectural marvel. The mystery of the abandoned mound was so close that the same Illinoisans and all the Indians who came after them could not explain the novelty of Cahokia. Or perhaps they reliably knew all the options for return, but hid that knowledge from outsiders? Eventually, historical scholars will unravel the mystery, or the Indians themselves will suggest that it is good for the world to know the facts-either way, the story is sure to be fascinating and unbelievable.
