Cahokia is described as which of the following?

• A. Hohokam.
• B. Ancestral Puebloan.
• C. Hopewell.
• D. Mississippian.

Answer: (D)

Cahokia fits best with the Mississippian culture. This culture centers in the Mississippi River valley and is known for large ceremonial centers built around plazas and earthen mounds, organized urban planning, and maize-based agriculture that supported sizable populations. Cahokia, near present-day St. Louis, rose to prominence around 1050–1250 CE and features signature elements like Monk’s Mound and a complex of surrounding mounds, signaling social and religious organization typical of Mississippian centers. Evidence of long-distance trade—shells from the Gulf Coast and copper from distant regions—also reflects the interconnected networks characteristic of Mississippian societies. The other options refer to different regions and patterns: the Hohokam are southwestern farmers famous for canal irrigation; the Ancestral Puebloans are in the Four Corners with cliff dwellings and pueblos; the Hopewell culture in the Ohio Valley predates Cahokia and is known for earthworks and trade but does not match Cahokia’s Mississippian urban-mound complex.