T H E
A r ch A e o l o gical
C o nse r vanc y
Cahokia and the Middle Mississippian Culture Join us on our exploration of the phenomenal earthworks of Cahokia and the central Mississippi and Illinois River Valleys. Inhabited around a.d. 700 to 1400, Cahokia was the premier Mississippian town and the center of the most sophisticated prehistoric Indian civilization north of Mexico. This ancient city, located across the Mississippi River from what is now St. Louis, covered nearly six square miles and was home to thousands of people. Monks Mound, the great platform mound in Cahokia’s central ceremonial area, is the largest prehistoric earthen construction in the New World. In addition to Cahokia, you’ll visit Mastodon State Historic site, which has provided evidence
mark michel
When: September 17 – 20, 2009 Where: Missouri and Illinois How Much: $795 ($145 single supplement)
Cahokia was occupied by the Mississippians from approximately a.d. 700 to 1400. Thousands of people lived there.
of humans hunting Ice Age elephants, and Dickson Mounds, a Mississippian mound and village center that flourished 800 years ago and today boasts a state-of-the-art interactive museum. Midwest archaeological experts will join you on this fascinating trip.
When: September 19 – 27, 2009 Where: New Mexico, Colorado How Much: $1,995 ($230 single supplement)
Explore the vast cultural system of Chaco Canyon and the extensive network of outlying communities that developed in northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado from a.d. 800 to 1140. We’ll visit Pueblo Bonito and other spectacular great houses in Chaco Canyon as well as the great kiva at Casa Rinconada. We’ll hike to some of the most spectacular and remote sites in the canyon. We’ll also have the unique opportunity to visit many of the most important outlying communities that are integral parts of the entire Chacoan complex still being uncovered by researchers. Scholars are still struggling to understand how this vast system developed and operated, and why it suddenly collapsed around 1140. To complete the experience, we’ll spend two memorable nights camping in Chaco Canyon, and we’ll also tour Acoma Pueblo. Some of the leading Chaco experts will join us.
Pueblo Bonito is one of the amazing sites at Chaco Canyon.
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summer • 2009
lorna wolf
Chaco Canyon in Depth
