In the state of Illinois, USA, traces of the stay of the North American Indians, who inhabited these lands long before the appearance of the first European sailors, are found everywhere. Usually they find the remains of either primitive settlements consisting of huts and wooden buildings, or entire cities formed not by houses, but by monumental barrows. Mounds are huge mounds of stones and soil, in the very depths of which there is a room for burial, housing or other purposes. One way or another, in addition to buildings, the Indians left behind many household items, culture, and some kind of writing. Based on these items, scientists can determine whether a settlement belongs to a particular tribe.
Quite another matter is the so-called Cahokia. This is the largest group of mounds in North America, amazing in its scale. The total number of the largest buildings is 109, of which one mound is the largest, and, apparently, the main one. It has four tiers, and the courtyard area occupied 19 hectares. A constantly updated three-kilometer palisade was built around it. It is assumed that a huge temple stood on top of this mound. The rest of the city is no less impressive: all the mounds are located in an ideal geometric order, and their sizes are almost the same.
So why is this monument of ancient architecture so interesting? The fact is that, despite the obvious belonging of the city to the Mississippian culture (only they built similar cities, albeit on a smaller scale), it is impossible to prove this with facts. In some incomprehensible way, such a huge settlement did not leave any traces in the form of the same household items or messages. It is impossible to establish neither the names of the city, nor even the population, the researchers did not even find clay pots and ceramic tablets, which were always left by representatives of the aforementioned culture.
The only clear connection to this culture was discovered by scientists on top of one of the city's smallest burial mounds. It was the tomb of some chief, made in the form of a falcon with outstretched wings — that's how the Mississippi Indians buried. But they never did what the surroundings of the grave testify to — the mass burial of young people with severed heads and hands. Examination shows that they were killed alive. It turns out that a monstrous human sacrifice was performed. But why, with such importance of the grave, and the one who is in it, is it located not on the main mound, but on the contrary, almost on the smallest one?
In addition to the remains of people, scientists also found a huge treasure, consisting of arrowheads from different tribes and peoples, collected from all over America. How could they get to the same place? The explanation for this may be the use of tips in the form of currency for trade, but nowhere else did the Mississippi culture use this type of exchange. In addition, it was very difficult at that time to collect such a number of arrowheads from a wide variety of places, and if these are really traces of trade, then where is the evidence of visiting merchants? Such vigorous activity is impossible without leaving a mountain of garbage and unclaimed goods.
Another question that no one can answer is where did all the inhabitants of the city go? Nothing indicates a war or mass death due to an epidemic. By all indications, the population left on their own, for some reason making sure that not a single item was left after them in an abandoned settlement. More than half a century passed before people reappeared in these places, but for some reason they did not want to use the built mounds for housing. Perhaps the aliens were afraid of some kind of deadly curse imposed on the city? European missionaries who came in the 17th century called it "kahokiya" in honor of the Illinois tribe that lived in the immediate vicinity, they mistakenly believed that it was the Illinois who created this miracle of architecture.
The mystery of the abandoned city was so secret that even these very Illinois and all the Indian tribes who came after could not explain the oddities Cahokia. Or maybe they reliably knew the answers to all questions, but protected this knowledge from strangers? Someday, historians will solve this riddle, or the Indians themselves will consider the world worthy of knowing the truth — in any case, the story will certainly be exciting and incredible.
