Cahokia Mounds Archaeology

The video explores the mysterious Cahokia Mounds near St. Louis, initially thought to be natural formations. Historical records from the 17th century reveal the site was named by French explorers after the Cahokia tribe, who had no knowledge of the mounds' origins. In the 1800s, geologists and archaeologists discovered that the mounds were man-made, containing layers of soil, pottery, and charcoal, indicating human construction.

What is the height of some of the mounds near the Mississippi floodplain?

• As tall as a 20-story building

• As tall as a 15-story building

• As tall as a 10-story building

• As tall as a 5-story building

Who named the site Cahokia?

• Spanish explorers

• Native American tribes

• British settlers

• French explorers

How far is the Cahokia site from St. Louis, Missouri?

• 3 miles

• 6 miles

• 12 miles

• 9 miles

What did the Cahokian tribe know about the origins of the mounds?

• They had detailed records

• They believed they were natural

• They knew nothing about them

• They had myths about the mounds

In which century did geologists begin to suspect the mounds were man-made?

• 18th century

• 17th century

• 20th century

• 19th century

What was the initial perception of the mounds by early observers?

• They were natural features

• They were man-made

• They were burial sites

• They were fortifications

What did archaeologists find inside the mounds that indicated they were man-made?

• Pottery and charcoal

• Animal bones

• Fossils

• Gold artifacts

What did the layers within the mounds reveal?

• They were uniform and natural

• They contained fossils

• They showed differences in soil

• They were made of stone