Debate: were the Cahokia mounds built in just a few decades or over centuries?

I was reading a paper last week that argued the main mound at Cahokia went up in under 30 years around 1050 AD, not the slow buildup most textbooks say. But then another study from last month claims soil samples near Monks Mound show layers of construction spread over 200 years. Which timeline do you lean on with the evidence we have from Illinois?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_mason1mo agoMost Upvoted

What's the deal with Monks Mound taking 200 years to build when I can't even finish a single home improvement project in a weekend? It took me three years just to put together an IKEA bookshelf that still wobbles. The 30-year timeline sounds right to me though. Those ancient builders had more discipline with their dirt piles than I have with my tax returns.

ivan_perez1mo ago

Dude, the IKEA bookshelf is your problem. Those ancient builders didn't have little allen wrenches that strip if you look at them wrong. But man, "discipline with their dirt piles" is a great way to put it. Honestly, I think both sides are just arguing about whether they used a leaf blower or a shovel. Either way, it took way less time than trying to return a single sock to Target.