VISUAL ACTIVITYCahokia Burial The excavation of a burial site at Cahokia revealed the remains of a man—presumably a revered leader—whom Cahokians buried atop a large bird-shaped cape covered with shell beads. Nearby in the same mound, excavators found mass graves of scores of other Cahokians, many of them executed just before burial, evidently during ceremonies to honor their leader.READING THE IMAGE: What does the cape or blanket suggest about patterns of trade and craftsmanship at Cahokia?CONNECTIONS: Where was Cahokia located and for approximately how many ancient Americans was this an important spiritual and political center?

Photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Archaeological Research Laboratory (ARL image 1967.2.31).