Community in Conflict? Warfare and Violence in Cahokian History

Construction of a palisade at Cahokia in the mid-twelfth century signals to many archaeologists the initiation of conflict. However, aside from a handful of fortified sites, some burned structures, and warrior iconography (created at and dispersed from Cahokia), more conclusive evidence for conflict is lacking in the American Bottom. This contrasts with the larger region within Cahokia's influence where there is unquestionable evidence for violence. This paper will explore possible sources and directions of conflict with the goal of understanding how violence became reiterated throughout Cahokia's history, and, in fact, may have been written into the Cahokia's history from its inception.