Metropolis of Mud

The traditional narrative of American history begins with European colonists arriving to find a vast, untamed wilderness sparsely populated by nomadic tribes. This persistent myth actively erases the reality of complex, highly structured indigenous civilizations that existed centuries before Columbus set sail. Just across the river from modern-day St. Louis, the earth still holds the remains of Cahokia. At its peak in the 12th century, this sprawling metropolis was larger than London, featuring massive earthen pyramids, intricate astronomical observatories, and trade networks that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. This book resurrects the lost grandeur of the Mississippian culture. It synthesizes decades of archaeological data to reconstruct daily life in this thriving urban center, exploring the sophisticated agricultural and political systems that sustained tens of thousands of people, and the mysterious environmental shifts that led to its sudden abandonment. Rewrite your understanding of the North American continent. You will discover the awe-inspiring engineering and cultural achievements of a forgotten empire, gaining a critical new perspective on the deep, complex history of indigenous urbanization.