Skilled crafting at Cahokia's Fingerhut Tract

ABSTRACT

This paper presents material and spatial evidence on skilled crafting from a series of archaeological investigations at the Fingerhut Tract, located in the western portion of the Mississippian period (AD 1050–1400) Cahokia site in southwestern Illinois. Specifically, skilled crafters at the Fingerhut Tract throughout the Mississippian period resided in distinct household clusters and neighborhoods, were part or members of elite families, and assembled multiple exotic materials into accoutrements used in religious ceremonies. Moreover, the special knowledge of these skilled crafters was likely obtained during journeys to distant locations and was passed down through time within particular family, kin, or social groups. Perhaps most important, the evidence indicates that crafting these items was entangled with religious practice and not solely an economic or political pursuit as suggested in earlier prestige good models.

KEYWORDS:

• Cahokia
• Mississippian period
• skilled crafting
• shell beads
• microdrills
• religious journeys

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to retired ISAS director Tom Emerson, who initiated and supported the production of the report from which this article was inspired, and Brad Koldehoff, chief archaeologist at IDOT, for his encouragement. Also, thanks to Tim Pauketat, current director of ISAS, and Bob McCullough, assistant director of special projects, who supported the completion of this article. Tom Emerson and several anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. This article reflects the view of the author, who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents of this article do not necessarily reflect the official views or the policies of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and, more specifically, the reports listed in the references cited section.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

B. Jacob Skousen is an Assistant Research Scientist and Research Archaeologist with the Illinois State Archaeological Survey and a part-time instructor at Parkland College. His research focuses on religious journeys in the pre-Columbian Midwest, especially those associated with the ancient city of Cahokia.

Additional information

Funding

The Illinois Department of Transportation provided funding for the preparation of this article as well as the production of the report from which this article was inspired (“Stirling and Moorehead Phase Craft Production at Cahokia's Fingerhut Tract, St. Clair County, Illinois”).