Home Region: Mississippi Basin (North America)

Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I

750 CE 900 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 us_emergent_mississippian_1 / USMisSp

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

600 CE 750 CE Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

900 CE 1049 CE Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II (us_emergent_mississippian_2) [continuity]

General Description

The Sponemann-Collinsville-Loyd Period at Cahokia (750-900 CE) is significant for being a foundational period for later social developments at Cahokia. At this time appears the first signs of warfare, an increase in social complexity and more widespread consumption of farmed crops like maize.
The increase in social complexity was reflected in settlements with houses clustered into court-yard groups. ^[1] While there is little evidence for warfare in the preceding Middle Woodland ^[1] from c800 CE there is evidence of inter-group violence as human bones have been recovered with arrow points embedded into them in individual and group burials. ^[1] Some settlements even gained palisades and ditches ^[1] , although at this time they were present at only a tiny fraction of all sites (0.5% between 800-950 CE ^[2] ). After 700-800 CE there was a dramatic intensification of food production, particularly of maize farming, which brought higher yields and enabled more food to be extracted from a smaller territory and would lead to population growth. ^[1] ^[3] ^[4]
The evidence suggests communities experienced increased differentiation of social roles, with individuals dedicated to "community defense, organization of labor, and communal storage of maize in secure central places". ^[1] The Upper Mississippi region was populated by a number of small communities. The population of largest settlement was probably in the region of 500 people - although this population was not resident at the site that later became Cahokia.

[1]: (Blitz and Porth 2013, 89-95) J H Blitz. E S Porth. 2013. Social complexity and the Bow in the Eastern Woodlands. Evolutionary Anthropology. 22:89-95. Wiley.

[2]: (Milner, Chaplin and Zavodny 2013) G R Milner. G Chaplin. E Zavodny. 2013. Conflict and Societal Change in Late Prehistoric Eastern North America. Evolutionary Anthropology. 22:96-102. Wiley.

[3]: (Iseminger 2010, 26) W R Iseminger. 2010. Cahokia Mounds: America’s First City. The History Press. Charleston.

[4]: (Milner 2006, xx) G R Milner. 2006. The Cahokia Chiefdom: The Archaeology of a Mississippian Society. University Press of Florida. Gainesville.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

5 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

1 Linguistic Family

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

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 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 - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1) was in:
(750 CE 899 CE)	Cahokia

Home NGA: Cahokia

General Variables

Identity and Location Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	15 S Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Original Name	Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Alternative Name	American Bottom Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Alternative Name	Emergent Mississippian Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Alternative Name	Sponemann Phase Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Alternative Name	Collinsville Phase Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Alternative Name	Loyd Phase Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Temporal Bounds Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	900 CE Expert
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Duration	[750 CE ➜ 900 CE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Merrell-Edlehardt Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Succeeding Entity 900 CE 1049 CE	Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II (us_emergent_mississippian_2) [continuity] Expert
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Preceding Entity 600 CE 750 CE	Cahokia - Late Woodland III (us_woodland_5) [continuity] Expert
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Degree of Centralization	none Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Language Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI Expert	750 CE 900 CE
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Religion Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

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

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[400 to 500] people	750 CE 900 CE
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Polity Territory	[100 to 200] km²	750 CE 900 CE
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Polity Population	[400 to 500] people	750 CE 900 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	2	750 CE 900 CE
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Religious Level	2	750 CE 900 CE
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Military Level	- Suspected	750 CE 900 CE
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Administrative Level	2	750 CE 900 CE
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Professions Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Occupational Complexity	Uncoded Undecided	750 CE 900 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Examination System	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Law Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Judge	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Court	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Irrigation System	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Food Storage Site	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Port	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Canal	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Bridge	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Information / Writing System Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Script	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Sacred Text	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Religious Literature	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Practical Literature	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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History	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Fiction	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Calendar	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Information / Money Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Paper Currency	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Article	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Information / Postal System Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Courier	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Information / Measurement System Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Moat	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Ditch	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Long Wall	absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Military use of Metals Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Iron	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Bronze	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Projectiles Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Sling	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Self Bow	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Javelin	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Crossbow	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Composite Bow	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Handheld weapons Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Sword	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Spear	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Polearm	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Dagger	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Battle Axe	Present Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Animals used in warfare Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Elephant	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Donkey	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Camel	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Armor Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Shield	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Limb Protection	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Leather Cloth	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Helmet	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Breastplate	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Naval technology Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	750 CE 900 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	750 CE 900 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	750 CE 900 CE
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Human Sacrifice Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I (us_emergent_mississippian_1)

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