ANTH 310 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Cornbread, Nuclear Family, Cherokee Language
17 May 2020
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Cahokia, along with several other large mississippian centers, are considered chiefdoms, or complex polities. A form of hierarchical political organization is usually based on kinship. Leadership positions (chiefs) were inherited, ascribed positions. Agriculture was of varying importance throughout the area, but overall was very significant. Maize (corn), beans, and squash were the principal products. Corn prepared in several ways, including whole roasted, boiled, hominy, and cornbread. Some semi-domesticated plants such as sunflower were also grown. Wild foods were of equal importance and in some areas were more important: wild foods include nuts, greens, game animals, and fish. Most dwellings were thatched, or had a thatched roof. In the southern portion of the area, palmetto (a type of palm) was used. Houses generally accommodated a nuclear family or a small extended family. Homesteads: a household group often occupied four buildings arranged around a courtyard. Many of the villages were surrounded by a palisade.
