ANTH-101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Mississippian Culture, Social Inequality, Monks Mound
27 May 2019
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Document Summary
States, empires and societies: states: bureaucracy that possess monopoly on the uses of force. Transfer in authority from kin based to non kin based. Inequality: empires: diverse cultural, ethnic or political entities under singular rule. Flow of goods towards the center: mississippian culture: se us. Possible settlement hierarchy: cahokia: largest mississippian settlement - 10,000. Significant social inequality: medieval warming period: 950 - 1250 ce. Followed by cooling - the little ice age. Correlates with rise and fall of cahokia: ceremonial precinct: largest concentration of mounds. Conspicuous display of wealth and power: chaco canyon, new mexico. Social complexity increased across the american southwest around 700 ce. Smaller residential areas: pueblo bonito: largest great house at chaco - build over 200 years. Ceremonial center: feasting, turquoise burials, kivas, turquoise: high prestige item. Some workshops - mostly household scale: chocolate at pueblo bonito. Nearest source 2,400 km south in coastal mexico.
