Cahokia's Religion: The Art of Red Goddesses, Black Drink, and the Underworld
- Duration:Temporary
- Location:Whitten Featured Object Case
(date) 1/30/2018–5/20/2018
NAGPRA Notice: In compliance with University of Illinois NAGPRA efforts, we have removed materials on this page while we conduct our review of which items contain Native North American materials which may be subject to NAGPRA. Director Elizabeth Sutton will be reviewing requests to access this suppressed material on a case-by-base basis.
In the fertile floodplain of the Mississippi River, 10,000–20,000 people built and lived at Cahokia from 1050 to 1200 CE. Another 20,000–30,000 people occupied the surrounding farmlands and smaller ceremonial precincts in the region. This great center of human activity, one of the first cities in North America, impacted people across the Midwest and Southeast.
The Illinois State Archaeological Survey and Spurlock Museum open the exhibit Cahokia’s Religion:The Art of Red Goddesses, Black Drink, and the Underworld on January 30. The objects in this exhibit are from Cahokia and nearby sites. They demonstrate the skills and perspectives of this civilization’s artists, farmers, priests, and leaders. The exhibit runs through May 20. Come see well-known artifacts including the Birger Figure.
This exhibit is presented in collaboration with the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS).