Nine centuries ago, workers erected a colossal tree trunk in Cahokia’s central plaza. Researchers have now confirmed that the Mitchell log was felled in 1124 and set up at a ceremonial center just east of modern-day St. Louis, Missouri. The tree’s journey stretched over 100 miles, indicating planning, labor, and shared purpose.
The study, led by Nicholas V. Kessler, uses dendrochronology to date the tree rings and strontium isotope ratios to determine its origin. The results show that the pole came from far outside the city’s home floodplain in southern Illinois and the lower Ohio River valley. The team used a combination of tree ring analysis, chemical sourcing, and geographic mapping to estimate the source region.
The discovery of the Mitchell log provides valuable insights into Cahokia’s rise as an organized city. The ancient monument is believed to have been placed in the plaza around 1124 CE, during the city’s most expansive phase. This date aligns with major changes in climate and politics that took hold around the same time.
The team’s findings suggest that people moved the trunk using rafts or boats on feeder streams that led into the Mississippi River, or overland using teams and rollers. The monument was likely treated as a living presence, serving as an axis mundi to connect sky, earth, and the world below.
The study published in PLOS One provides a clear time stamp on Cahokia’s rise and the onset of change that would reshape it. It highlights the city’s capacity for organization and civic rituals, as well as its ability to coordinate big projects like the construction of monumental poles.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-americans-moved-5-ton-cahokia-tree-over-100-miles-900-years-ago