Steam Bath Ceremonialism and a New Vision of American Indian Urbanism

FAIN: RFW-286694-22

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL 61801-3620)
Elizabeth Watts Malouchos (Project Director: September 2021 to present)

Archaeological research at the ancient Native American center of Cahokia resulting in tribal outreach and scholarly publications and presentations (24 months). 

Circular shrines, including sweat lodges, rotundas, and associated circular platform mounds appear de novo at or after AD 1050 in the Greater Cahokia region and then disappear around AD 1200. Originally thought to be part of the “paired mound” building blocks of Cahokian urbanism, their historical role in the spread of Middle Mississippian culture has been largely overlooked since. This proposed study will use non-invasive geophysical explorations and limited soil coring to determine the extent to which circular platform mounds and surmounting circular architecture comprised what we hypothesize to have been an 11th-century politico-religious or civilizing movement. This work will be conducted in consultation and participation with descendant Tribal Nations. Importantly, the project will incorporate 3D and VR technology to produce interactive visualizations that can be shared widely via the web and an onsite platform.