Flint Clay Figures and Women at Cahokia

Cahokia, the ancient city nestled in modern Illinois, was a thriving hub of early Mississippian civilization, known for its monumental earthen mounds and remarkable culture has received much attention by archaeologists. The impressive trade networks and agriculture have been extensively documented, but it’s critical to take note of the pivotal role women played in forming such a remarkable society. By examining flint clay figures found at Cahokia, along with other archaeological evidence, we can glean deeper insight into the lives of Cahokian women and the power they may have held within the farming system (Everding 19). 

While excavating the mounds at Cahokia, archaeologists have found flint-clay statues depicting women in a distinct style to Cahokia. These figures often include plants, hoes, and other objects that represent agriculture. It’s thought that flint-clay was a rare material (Emerson & Boles 2010). The rarity of this resource is supported by the spiritually and culturally important figures that flint-clay figures show, many of whom are women. There is a woman depicted in many of these statues that has come to be known as Grandmother and Corn mother (Isselhardt 2022). Below, figure one depicts one of these statues of the Corn Goddess or Corn mother, a woman sitting upon a pile of corn cobs. Rock art from other Native American groups indicates that this figure is the same one modern Siouan speaking tribes worship (Everding 19). Archaeologists have uncovered many figures similar to this one, all expressing the same message of intrinsic female spiritual power over agriculture, and ultimately over prosperity for the society. 

Figure 1- Many scholars describe this statue, commonly known as the Keller Figurine, as a “Corn Goddess” (Vickers 2009 via Wikimedia Commons).

Some archaeologists hold that “the vast majority of Cahokia’s farmers were women” and explain that the knowledge they held of all kinds of crops solidified them in “positions of power and respect at every level of the society” (Everding 2019). It’s thought that artifacts found at Cahokia such as the flint-clay statues indicate that female farmers of Cahokia were likely praying to the often depicted Grandmother figure to aid their harvest of native grains pre-maize. Other archaeological evidence suggests the possibility that Cahokia was a matrilineal society in which women held and shared crucial knowledge through ritual feasts. (Everding 19).

Figure 2- The Exchange Avenue figurine was found in a Stirling phase temple near the mound center (Patton 2018).

Figure two above shows The Exchange Avenue Figurine was found in a temple at the north edge of the mound center. This figure is typical of the female depictions found in excavations at Cahokia. The context of this artifact indicates that Cahokian society associated female figures with the high-status temple environments, an idea that is supported by the excavation of other flint-clay objects in similar contexts (Emerson & Boles 2010). Examining what artifacts are made of, their archaeological context, and their association with each other is critical in understanding how these flint-clay representations of women depict the broader role of women in Cahokian agriculture and society. The statues allow us to broaden our conception of the kind of work women did in ancient societies, and understand the way that women held power in Cahokia. 

Additional Reading

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/native-american-farming-cahokia

https://www.archaeology.org/news/3645-150828-cahokia-mound-72

Works Cited

Emerson, Thomas, & Boles, Steven   ‎‎ 2010  Contextualizing flint clay Cahokia figures at the East St. Louis Mound Center. Illinois Archaeology, 22(2), 473-490.

Everding, Gerry  ‎ ‎ ‎ 2020  Women shaped cuisine, culture of ancient Cahokia – the source – washington university in St. Louis. The Source. https://source.wustl.edu/2019/03/feedingcahokia/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIt’s%20clear%20that%20the%20vast,the%20society%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.

Isselhardt, Trinity ‎ ‎ ‎ 2022  Girlhood and the downfall of Cahokia. Medium. https://historymuse.medium.com/girlhood-and-the-downfall-of-cahokia-4cc76290830f#_edn5

Patton, Angela ‎ ‎ ‎ 2018  Exchange Avenue figurine survives to tell us about Cahokia. News. https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7924/654280#image-1 

Vickers, Tim ‎ 2009 Keller Figurine. Wikimedia Commons. ‎ ‎ ‎https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keller_figurine.jpg

What Pollen Can Tell Us About The Past (Palynology)

Palynology, also known as pollen dating is an archaeological technique involving the study of of pollen grains preserved in sedimentary layers. Plants produce pollen grains, which are released into the environment and eventually settle in sediment, bogs, or lake beds. Over time, the grains become buried and preserved. By analyzing the abundance of pollen grains within sediment, archaologists can determine the types of vegetation that existed in an area during specific times. This information allows archaeologists to reconstruct ancient landscapes and understand human settlement patterns in different areas (ScARF 2020).

Pollen analysis is “arguably the most successful, of the biological techniques used in reconstructing past environments” (ScARF 2020). Pollen dating can provide insights into ecological shifts that impacted ancient societies. A decrease in the diversity of species or the presence of certain indicator species can suggest periods environmental stress, such as drought. Understanding past environmental conditions is crucial to understand the challenges faced by ancient civilizations. (Gordon 2021). 

Pollen cannot be well preserved with air present, “but in anaerobic conditions such as a peat bog, pollen is relatively well preserved” (Alphey 2018). Pollen can “also become fossilized in arid conditions if the soil is acidic or cool” (Science Encyclopedia). 

A monolith dug from a trench at the National Trust Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire with polystyrene markers showing the locations of pollen sub-samples (Emily Forster 2015).

Pollen dating is often used to establish relative chronologies. When “polleniferous material is stratified and can be securely dated, it can be used to build up a picture of how individual taxa and plant communities have changed over time” (ScARF 2020). For instance, an increase or decrease in the abundance of pollen from a particular species, such as crops for livestock grazing, can indicate agricultural activity. This allows archaologists to identify a relative date for the onset of human occupation or other particular events within a sight. 

Beyond establishing relative chronologies, pollen dating can complement other dating techniques. Pollen grains are “highly suitable for radiocarbon dating” (Fletcher 2018). Pollen walls are made of sporopollenin, a biopolymer that “is derived from atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis” (Fletcher 2018). Pollens grains can therefore indicate the ratios of various carbon isotopes in the atmosphere during particular time periods, allowing scientists to better understand the environment at the time. Pollen grains also have morphological characteristics that allow them to be “identified to different taxonomic groups […] providing valuable contextual information for the dated sample” (Fletcher 2018). 

Palynological genera from the Jiyuan Basin containing many taxa typical of the Late Triassic (Lu, Jing et al., 2021).

When combined with radiocarbon dates, pollen analysis can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental context of an archaeological site. This helps archaeologists construct more accurate timelines of past human activity. In addition, pollen dating can provide “relative dates beyond the limits of radiocarbon (40,000 years), and can be used in some places where radiocarbon dates are unobtainable” (Science Encyclopedia).

Pollen dating provides a window into the past that allows researchers to paint a more detailed and accurate picture of human history and the environment in which our ancestors lived. Pollen dating is a testament to the interdisciplinary nature of archaeology, as tiny pollen grains can play a pivotal role in yielding vast insights into our past. 

Further Reading

Pollen diagram implications in Peloponnese, Greece

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1177/095968369300300407

Pollen grains found on the Shroud of Turin

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/arcm.12269

Works Cited

Alphey, R. (2018, September 11). A brief glimpse of the microscopic world of pollen. Pollen analysis. https://www.plymarchsoc.org.uk/pollenanalysis1.html

Fletcher, W. (2018, Dec 5). Dating Pollen. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. https://pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/83246184/9781119188230.saseas0156.pdf

Forster, E. (2015, September 18). Pollen analysis. Brockhampton Summer of Archaeology. https://summerofarchaeology.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/pollen-analysis/

Gordon, J. (2021, July 6). Pollen Analysis: What is it? and why is it useful?. University of York. https://www.york.ac.uk/anthropocene-biodiversity/news/biodiversification-news/202021/pollen-analysis/

Lu, J., Zhang, P., Dal Corso, J., Yang, M., Wignall, P. B., Greene, S. E., Shao, L., Lyu, D., & Hilton, J. (2021, September 27). Volcanically driven lacustrine ecosystem changes during the Carnian Pluvial Episode (Late Triassic). pnas.org. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2109895118

ScARF. (2020, March 19). Pollen analysis. The Scottish Archaeological Research Framework. https://scarf.scot/thematic/scarf-science-panel-report/4-people-and-the-environment/4-6-pollen-analysis/

Science Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Dating techniques – pollen dating (palynology). Pollen Dating (palynology) – Time, Fluorine, Dates, and Remains – JRank Articles. https://science.jrank.org/pages/1949/Dating-Techniques-Pollen-dating-palynology.html