Cahokia trade network: Obsidian, copper, shells from hundreds to 800+ miles away. Copper found at Cahokia was sourced from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 683 miles away, dating to 5,500-3,500 years ago Yellowstone obsidian and Mount Rainier obsidian from Washington State were found at the site Paleo scrapers and obsidian blades were found in Mound 72
Cahokia was a trade superhighway: copper came from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Yellowstone and Mount Rainier obsidian from Washington State, shells from the Gulf Coast, amethyst from Ontario, and silver from Nova Scotia. Pumice arrived as a volcanic additive for pottery. Researchers call it 'the New York and Philadelphia of the time' — an enormous hub connecting cultures across North America between 1050-1350 CE. 🌍🛶
Key Facts
- Copper found at Cahokia was sourced from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 683 miles away, dating to 5,500-3,500 years ago
- Yellowstone obsidian and Mount Rainier obsidian from Washington State were found at the site
- Paleo scrapers and obsidian blades were found in Mound 72
- Small traces of silver ornamentation were sourced from Nova Scotia
- Large quantities of pumice were found at Cahokia - a volcanic byproduct used as a powdered additive to clay slips for pottery
- Shells from whelk and mollusks came from approximately 844 miles away and were carved into wampum beads
- Amethyst from Ontario's Thunder Bay (648 miles away) was found carved into bird effigies
- Fluorite (marketed as Forstner) was mined from Cave-in-Rock Quadrangle in Illinois and Kentucky
- Cahokia functioned as an enormous hub for trade goods and a cultural center described as 'the New York and LA of the time'
Related site: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Roundtable Chronicles by Institute for Natural Philosophy