Mounds Cahokia People Lived Objects Related Ancient Made

The Cahokia Mounds are a "Native American" (related to the people who lived in North America before the arrival of Europeans, and their descendants) "site" (place; location) in modern-day Illinois that dates back to the 1200s. The "mounds" (hills; piled-up areas) are what "remains" (what is left) of an ancient civilization and a "bustling" (very busy, with a lot of people and activity and movement) city.

The Native Americans who lived there built more than 120 mounds, 80 of which can be seen today. Researchers believe that workers made the mounds by using "woven baskets" (containers made by threading plant material together) to move "earth" (dirt) over many years. "Archaeologists" (scientists who study old objects to learn about ancient cultures) have found many objects in and around the mounds, including "pottery" (ceramics), metals, sea shells, shark teeth, and more. There are many "remnants" (small pieces remaining from what was once there) of buildings on top of some of the mounds. Some of the mounds also have "skeletons" (bones of the human body) and "burial" (related to putting a dead body underground) "artifacts" (old objects that teach us about how people used to live).

Cahokia was an important religious, political, economic, and cultural center. It was also bigger than London in 1250, when it had between 10,000 and 20,000 "inhabitants" (residents; people who lived in a particular place), although some researcher think there may have been as many as 40,000 residents.

The Cahokia Mounds have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The area is currently managed as a State Historical Site.