Home Region: Mississippi Basin (North America)

Cahokia - Late Woodland III

600 CE 750 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 us_woodland_5 / USMisPa

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

450 CE 600 CE Cahokia - Late Woodland II (us_woodland_4) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

750 CE 900 CE Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1) [continuity]

General Description

2000 BCE

Period of population growth begins ^[1]

1 CE

c1 CE "large quantities of native cultigens began to be incorporated into midcontinental diets. ^[1]

100 CE

Maize appears in the archaeological record ^[2]
Atlatl is the contemporary weapon ^[2]
"periodic rituals at ceremonial mound centers" ^[2]
"groups ensured access to needed resources through maintenance of alliance-exchange relationships" ^[2]

200 CE
300 CE

Early arrowheads appear. "Beginning A.D. 300-400, the bow replaced the atlatl in most regions" ^[2]
In the Mississippian region (Midwest and Upland South) the transition from atlatl to bow was "relatively rapid because dart points disappear from the archaeological record" ^[2]
Introduction of the bow in the Mississippi region decreased social complexity because it caused the collapse of the Hopewell system, the abandonment of mound centers and alliance-exchange relationships ^[2]
Bow enabled a new bow and native crops subsistence strategy which lead to a movement to and the effective exploitation of previously marginal lands and "household autonomy" ^[2]
There followed an economic intensification and population growth which eventually "packed the landscape with settlements." ^[2]

400 CE
500 CE
600 CE

Late arrowheads appear. "This transition to small, thin, triangular or triangular corner-notched points has long been accepted as evidence of the bow, but variation in the morphology of late arrow point types suggest that this transition was governed by social and historical factors that varied across these regions." ^[2]
Late arrowheads may indicate the technological development of fletching as they are less heavy and thick than the early arrowheads. ^[2]
First evidence of intergroup violence appears in the archaeological record (arrowpoints embedded in skeletons in individual and group burials). ^[2]
No evidence for an increase in social complexity and hierarchy or deviation from the "trend toward household autonomy" at this time. ^[2]
"For the first time, there is evidence, in the form of group and individual burials with embedded arrow points, of the bow as the primary weapon of intergroup violence." ^[2]
"In Middle Woodland times there isn’t much evidence for warfare." "Later, after about A.D. 600 there is more evidence (scalping, embedded arrow points)." ^[3]
"Population growth, reduced access to resources, sedentism, and the desire to avoid conflict made the high costs of intensified food production more attractive." ^[2]

700 CE
800 CE

Intensification of Maize farming begins. Higher yields from maize cultivation enables more food to be extracted from a smaller territory. ^[2]
"Although there is scattered evidence for corn, or maize, during Middle Woodland times, it wasn’t until Late Woodland times, after AD 700-800, that it became an important food crop." ^[4]
Social complexity increases from this period. "Site plans gained greater internal complexity as houses clustered into court-yard groups and, toward [1000 CE], the southern pattern of civic-ceremonial centers with large earthen mounds was established in many places. Nucleated settlements may have been a defensive response to bow warfare. Burials with embedded arrow points and sites fortified with palisades and ditches are widespread, although no present everywhere... New social roles linked to community defense, organization of labor, and communal storage of maize in secure central places laid the foundation for the increased group differentiation, competition, and hierarchy of the Mississippian period beginning A.D. 1000." ^[2]
Palisades and ditches appear in the archaeological record. The first evidence of substantial intergroup warfare. ^[2]

"trail networks also are important, and some of the historic east-west ones cross near Cahokia." ^[5]
Cahokia "controlled a critical choke point in trade routes that spanned the midcontinent" an idea that goes back to Brackenridge (1813 CE). ^[6]
"The greatest environmental hazard would have been a late summer Mississippi River flood similar to the one that took place in 1993. A rise in the river at that time of the year simultaneously drowned crops, prevented easy fishing in shallow ponds, and ruined food stored in underground pits. Floods attributable to severe storms, including excessive water funnelled into the floodplain by creeks that drain the uplands, certainly caused localized disasters much like they did a century ago before effective flood-control measures were put in place." ^[7]
"No other major site was as advantageously situated. Cahokia was located in what was by far the widest expanse of land suitable for settlement in the American Bottom. More people could live there than anywhere else ... The high ground where Cahokia was located was bordered on the north and south by large tracts of low-lying land that received the waters of different upland streams." ^[7]

[1]: (Milner, Chaplin and Zavodny 2013)

[2]: (Blitz and Porth 2013, 89-95)

[3]: (Peregrine/Pauketat 2014, 16)

[4]: (Iseminger 2010, 26)

[5]: (Peregrine/Trubitt 2014, 21)

[6]: (Milner 2006, 12)

[7]: (Milner 2006, 168)

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

3 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

1 Occupational Complexity

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5) was in:
(600 CE 749 CE)	Cahokia

Home NGA: Cahokia

General Variables

Identity and Location Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	15 S Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Original Name	Cahokia - Late Woodland III Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Alternative Name	American Bottom Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Alternative Name	Late Woodland Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Alternative Name	Patrick Phase Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Temporal Bounds Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	750 CE Expert
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Duration	[600 CE ➜ 750 CE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Late Woodland Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Preceding Entity 450 CE 600 CE	Cahokia - Late Woodland II (us_woodland_4) [continuity] Expert
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Succeeding Entity 750 CE 900 CE	Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1) [continuity] Expert
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Degree of Centralization	none Expert	600 CE 750 CE
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Language Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Religion Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[30 to 50] people	600 CE 750 CE
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Polity Population	- Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[1 to 2]	600 CE 750 CE
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Religious Level	- Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Military Level	- Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Administrative Level	[1 to 2]	600 CE 750 CE
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Professions Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Occupational Complexity	Uncoded Undecided	600 CE 750 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Examination System	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Law Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Judge	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Court	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Irrigation System	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Food Storage Site	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Port	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Canal	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Bridge	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	600 CE 750 CE
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Information / Writing System Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Script	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Sacred Text	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Religious Literature	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Practical Literature	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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History	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Fiction	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Calendar	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Information / Money Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Paper Currency	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Article	Present	600 CE 750 CE
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Information / Postal System Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Courier	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Information / Measurement System Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Moat	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Earth Rampart	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Ditch	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Long Wall	absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Military use of Metals Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Iron	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Bronze	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Projectiles Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Sling	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Self Bow	Present	600 CE 750 CE
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Javelin	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Crossbow	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Handheld weapons Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	600 CE 750 CE
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Sword	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Spear	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Polearm	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Dagger	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Battle Axe	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Animals used in warfare Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Elephant	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Donkey	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Dog	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Camel	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Armor Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Leather Cloth	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Helmet	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	600 CE 750 CE
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Naval technology Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	600 CE 750 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	600 CE 750 CE
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Human Sacrifice Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More