http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/ se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:19:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-114132 Legends of the Allegewi (The Anthropik Network) Fri, 25 May 2007 17:31:40 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-114132 [...] The legends of the Allegewi also speak to one of the most shameful chapters in U.S. history: the displacement of Native peoples, particularly the "Trail of Tears." Many of the legends identify the Allegewi as the "Mound Builders," the people who constructed the enigmatic earthworks found throughout Ohio, now identified with the "Hopewell" and "Adena" archaeological complexes, and to a lesser degree, the larger mounds of the Mississippian culture, such as those at Cahokia. Thomas Jefferson, something of an amateur archaeologist, excavated some mounds, and concluded that they resembled Native funeral practices in his own day too much to allow any conclusion but that the mounds had been built by Native Americans. Few others shared that opinion, though; instead, they were convinced that the mounds could not possibly have been constructed by the "savages" they encountered. Benjamin Smith Barton considered them the work of Vikings who had since disappeared; Greeks, Africans, Chinese or assorted other European groups were other popular contenders. The "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel" made frequent appearances, and it was in the midst of this racist milieu that Joseph Smith codified such notions in writing the Book of Mormon, one of several obvious hoaxes written at the time to lend credence to these myths of the "Mound Builders." Reverend Landon West even invoked divine placement for the Serpent Mound rather than give credit to Native Americans (though another sign of his madness is surely evident in his identification of Eden in Ohio). Lafcadio Hearn attributed the mounds to Atlanteans. [...] […] The legends of the Allegewi also speak to one of the most shameful chapters in U.S. history: the displacement of Native peoples, particularly the “Trail of Tears.” Many of the legends identify the Allegewi as the “Mound Builders,” the people who constructed the enigmatic earthworks found throughout Ohio, now identified with the “Hopewell” and “Adena” archaeological complexes, and to a lesser degree, the larger mounds of the Mississippian culture, such as those at Cahokia. Thomas Jefferson, something of an amateur archaeologist, excavated some mounds, and concluded that they resembled Native funeral practices in his own day too much to allow any conclusion but that the mounds had been built by Native Americans. Few others shared that opinion, though; instead, they were convinced that the mounds could not possibly have been constructed by the “savages” they encountered. Benjamin Smith Barton considered them the work of Vikings who had since disappeared; Greeks, Africans, Chinese or assorted other European groups were other popular contenders. The “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel” made frequent appearances, and it was in the midst of this racist milieu that Joseph Smith codified such notions in writing the Book of Mormon, one of several obvious hoaxes written at the time to lend credence to these myths of the “Mound Builders.” Reverend Landon West even invoked divine placement for the Serpent Mound rather than give credit to Native Americans (though another sign of his madness is surely evident in his identification of Eden in Ohio). Lafcadio Hearn attributed the mounds to Atlanteans. […]

]]> http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-92577 Coal, World War & the Collapse of European Imperialism (The Anthropik Network) Tue, 01 May 2007 13:56:21 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-92577 [...] The problem I've glibly labeled "peak wood" brought down many ancient civilizations. These timber crises are very similar to the current "peak oil" theory in several ways. Forests still existed in all cases, but they were increasingly far away, and the energy cost of going out that far, chopping down the trees, and dragging them back to the nearest population centers, outweighed the energy the wood provided as a fuel. This is what happened to Cahokia, and at the end of the Bronze Age, and many other times throughout history. Sixteenth century Europe began to face a similar timber crisis, but where other civilizations had collapsed, Europe in general—and Britain in particular—had an alternative available. Though inferior, as the cost of timber rose, it became increasingly attractive. [...] […] The problem I’ve glibly labeled “peak wood” brought down many ancient civilizations. These timber crises are very similar to the current “peak oil” theory in several ways. Forests still existed in all cases, but they were increasingly far away, and the energy cost of going out that far, chopping down the trees, and dragging them back to the nearest population centers, outweighed the energy the wood provided as a fuel. This is what happened to Cahokia, and at the end of the Bronze Age, and many other times throughout history. Sixteenth century Europe began to face a similar timber crisis, but where other civilizations had collapsed, Europe in general—and Britain in particular—had an alternative available. Though inferior, as the cost of timber rose, it became increasingly attractive. […]

]]> http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-2154 Peak Wood » The Anthropik Network Sat, 22 Oct 2005 01:17:45 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-2154 [...] Steel was a deus ex machina that allowed civilization to continue its rampant expansion and exploitation. In other scenarios, however, the "Peak Wood" problem was fatal. It was the proximate cause for the collapse of both Cahokia and the Hohokam. It nearly did in European civilization again in the 16th century--that time, the deus ex machina was coal. [...] […] Steel was a deus ex machina that allowed civilization to continue its rampant expansion and exploitation. In other scenarios, however, the “Peak Wood” problem was fatal. It was the proximate cause for the collapse of both Cahokia and the Hohokam. It nearly did in European civilization again in the 16th century–that time, the deus ex machina was coal. […]

]]> http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-1635 Jason Godesky Mon, 03 Oct 2005 02:55:19 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/the-fall-of-great-cahokia/#comment-1635 <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/96541533@N00/sets/1061617/" rel="nofollow">Flickr gallery</a> of the photos above, plus others from my trip to Cahokia. Flickr gallery of the photos above, plus others from my trip to Cahokia.

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