Cahokia silkworm evidence suggests pre-Columbian textile production. Stone silkworm effigy carving found at Cahokia Silkworm cocoons preserved in Madison County Museum (Sutter collection) Malberry trees found throughout Cahokia mounds - silkworms only eat malberry leaves
Fascinating evidence from Cahokia hints at silk production before Columbus: a stone silkworm effigy carving, preserved cocoons in the Sutter collection, and French explorer journals from the 1700s documenting silk tapestries among Native Americans. Silkworms only eat mulberry leaves, and mulberry trees grow throughout the Cahokia mound complex. Researchers suggest amino acid racemization testing or carbon-14 dating could help determine the age of the cocoons.
Key Facts
- Stone silkworm effigy carving found at Cahokia
- Silkworm cocoons preserved in Madison County Museum (Sutter collection)
- Malberry trees found throughout Cahokia mounds - silkworms only eat malberry leaves
- French explorers in 1700s documented silk tapestries and silk cloth among Native Americans
- Silk cloth mentioned by Jean Bernard Bosu and Le Page Dupraz in early 1700s journals
- Amino acid raceization testing ($100) could determine age of cocoons
- Carbon-14 dating could also be used
- Strontium isotope analysis could determine provenance of silkworms
Related site: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Shaman and The Philosopher by Institute for Natural Philosophy