#mogollon

[thomaswaynewolf]

[moonlab]

mogollon NM

[nmnomad]

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site | Archaeologists credit the Mogollon with leaving thousands of images: humans, birds, fish, insects, plants, geometric and abstract designs. The plethora of petroglyphs adorn the basalt boulders lining a low ridge at the north end of the Tularosa Basin, dispersed across 50+ acres.

[bignaz8]

Above Rumsey Park. Payson, Arizona

[mogollonny]

Art by Francisco Lopez

[magicallysierra]

Rim country ⛰

[dailyhistoryposts]

Pre-contact Native American Cities

There were a number of large population centers in the Americas. I will be focusing on those in what is now the US and Canada, but large cities also existed south of the Rio Grande.

Generally considered the greatest pre-Columbian Native American city, Cahokia once sat directly across the river from what is now St. Louis, Missouri. It was settled around 600 CE and existed from 1050-1350 CE, with its apex around 1100 CE. Cahokia likely had more than 20,000 people living in (thousands more than London, at the time) and was the most influential urban settlement of the Mississippian culture.

Cahokia, on the Mississippi River, was an important center for trade and agriculture. It maintained trade links with communities from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast and had people living outside the main urban center. Cahokia, and the Mississippians who built it, were known for their incredible urban planning and the mounds that made up the city center. Today, the Cahokia Mounds are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Second, the Poverty Point (named after a 19th-century plantation on top of it) culture was centralized in what is now northeastern Louisiana. Like Cahokia, it had a number of important mounds for urban life. It was constructed over multiple generations, and radiocarbon dating suggests that earthwork construction was in progress from 1800-1200 BCE. Poverty Point is one of the most ancient cities in the Americas. Poverty Point had a rich material culture include fired earthware, copperwork, and stone vessels. They had manufacturing and long-distance trade.

Third, the Calusa (Caloosahatchee) people of the southwest coast of Florida, on the coast of the Gulf. They also built mounds and, at the time of European contact in the 16th century, had a population in the 10,000s. They were likely the only indigenous North Americans who established a kingdom without practicing agriculture, using the abundant fishing resources instead. The main mound, Mound Key, was a manmade structure with canals, watercourts, and other features. The Calusa were notable for their carved-wood art and their sophisticated engineering and architecture. A single manor on Mound Key was capable of holding 2,000 people.

Fourth, the Mogollon culture was one of the major cultures of southwest America. It had multiple large and dense settlements, but one that's considered a proper city. Called Paquimé, it was settled from 1130-1450 CE. It had a population in the thousands, who lived in multi-story buildings and an irrigation-based agricultural economy. They had a complex system of water control that included drainage, reservoirs, channels, and sewage. The city had a market, ballcourts, and the production of copper and ceramic objects.

The final city to discuss is Etzanoa. Located in what is now Arkansas City, Kansas on the Arkansas River, it actually flourished after and alongside European contact, mostly with the Spanish. Etzanoa housed approximately 20,000 people. It was a seat of power for the Wichita and a trading hub.

[Image Description: A black and white map of the United States. States are outlined but not labeled. Five stars mark the location of cities. Cahokia is on the border of Arkansas and Illinois. Etzanoa is on the border of Kansas and Oklahoma. Poverty Point is on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi. Mound Key is in southern Florida. Paquimé is slightly below New Mexico.

[mistersamshearon]

TOMBSTONE THUNDERBIRD. As featured on the cover of David Weatherly's book: 'Copper State Monsters: Cryptids & Legends of Arizona' - with a foreword by Ken Gerhard. A report in the April 26, 1890, Tombstone Epigraph listed the creature’s wingspan as an alarming 160 feet, and noted that the bird was about 92 feet long, about 50 inches around at the middle, and had a head about eight feet long. The beast was said to have no feathers, but a smooth skin and wingflaps “composed of a thick and nearly transparent membrane… easily penetrated by a bullet.” This 12" x 17" print is signed in silver ink and comes with an additional 'wide scene' 8" x 11" smaller signed print also. All prints are shipped in batches on a monthly basis. Check out the other 'cryptozoology' prints in this store! *Be sure to sign up to my Patreon.com/MisterSamShearon at 'The offering' level to receive a % off everything in this store! #thunderbird #pterosaur #arizona #dragon #cryptozoology #copperstate #cryptid #cryptidart #cryptozoologyart #cryptidartwork #bigoot #mogollon #sasquatch #cryptoart #cryptoartwork #folklore #lore #legend #highbrow #lowbrow #supernatural #paranormal #unexplained #mystery #monster #mistersamshearon (at Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR421hrsNCw/?utm_medium=tumblr