The Rise and Fall of Cahokia: North America’s First City

Have you ever heard of Cahokia? Not known by many, Cahokia was actually North America's first city, long before European colonizers arrived. Unfortunately, the residents left behind no written history— so how have archaeologists pieced together the details of these population centers? Find out with Hank Green in this exciting episode of SciShow!

Hosted by: Hank Green

----------
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:

Marwan Hassoun, Jb Taishoff, Bd_Tmprd, Harrison Mills, Jeffrey Mckishen, James Knight, Christoph Schwanke, Jacob, Matt Curls, Sam Buck, Christopher R Boucher, Eric Jensen, Lehel Kovacs, Adam Brainard, Greg, Ash, Sam Lutfi, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, charles george, Alex Hackman, Chris Peters, Kevin Bealer
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
----------
Sources:
_AD_800-1400

Image Sources:

[BLooDCoMPleX]

I think most people here would appreciate a scishow-archeology channel.

[Jaycalsun]

I’m from Cahokia. The modern Cahokia is over 300 years old, and is a few miles from the ancient city. It’s a wonderful site and everyone should visit.

[bordenfleetwood]

If anyone hasn't been to Cahokia, I HIGHLY recommend it. The place is basically a huge mound of dirt, sure, but it puts new meaning to the term "earthwork." There's really no easy comparison to make.

[tec-jones]

I love Misssissippian cultures! They're underrated even as far as pre-colonial American civilizations go. Great video SciShow.

[matthewmann]

It needs more documentaries and narrations like the Aztec, Mayan, Inca, And Olmec civilizations get

[NewMexico]

The Puebloan culture is really underrated. The cities and culture they built is far less speculative. Since most of the Pueblo’s still exist and their history is pretty well known

[marykatetrausch]

One of my anthropology professors said that one possible collapse scenario that is discussed is that their over-dependence on corn caused them to be well fed but malnourished and eventually it was too difficult to get balanced diets once hunters were having to go further and further from the main mound complex to find game.

[berrythemagicaleagle]

Ah that explains how popcorn is made they use c-4

[cdizzy]

I live about 5 miles from Monks Mound, lived even closer as a kid, we still walk the trails and climb the mound every once in a while. Climbing those steps up Monks Mound really puts the scale into perspective. Great views from the top as well.

[RyanAlexanderBloom]

What I find interesting is how the rise and fall Chaco is roughly contemporaneous with Cahokia. I had ancestors in the Mississippian culture so I assume some may have lived at Cahokia at some point. I don’t know what they called it either. Something pretty big happened over the whole continent from the 1000s to the 1300s, and then it went south.

[justotech]

I've been there. It's fascinating to think that people walked around in that area 1000s of years ago. You can actually see St. Louis from the top of the big mound. It's worth a visit, if you're in STL.

[ManzanitaStarwood]

Just started a role-playing game set in Cahokia — Coyote & Crow! Created by an indigenous design team - so cool.

[threecatsdancing]

My paleoanthropologist uncle who focused his studies on Native Americans used "cahokia" as an interjection, to mean something like "wow" or "oh my gosh". He also regularly used the word "dickensian" to mean something was dumb or lame. He was such a dork. I miss him.

[StopChangingUsernamesYouTube]

The more I hear and read about the history of North and South America, the more I wish I could know what could've been if the native population was able to remain mostly-undisturbed by European settlers. Like, how differently would it have developed compared to the Afro-Eurasian cultures? I wouldn't exactly be here if happened, and I'll never know what could've been, but I still wish I could know.

[eurogryphon]

The museum across the road from Monk's Mound has a lot of interesting information, as well as a detailed timeline of the archeological digs that have occurred in the area for over 100 years.

[joanfregapane]

Cahokia Mounds is in my birth area in Southern Illinois. It’s a fantastic place to visit- such amazing history!

[_ad]

Watching this from on top of the Monks mound at Cahokia. Thanks so much!!

[LEDewey_MD]

The year 1350? That sounds pretty close to the beginning of the "Little Ice Age". In other words, climate change, possibly leading to crop failures, etc.

[schrodingerscat]

Sometimes I feel bad about how comparatively little we know about pre colonial Native American societies, but then I watch videos like this and wonder how much we’ve just overlooked.

[taylorsmith]

I’ve watched Scishow every night before bed since 2013, now I can’t sleep without their voices. When I hear that familiar intro tune it’s like a Pavlovian response, works better than melatonin!