The Cahokia Society
Going back in history before 1500 CE, I would move to study the Cahokia society in Illinois, USA. The society existed between 900 CE to 1250CE. Cahokia community developed a vast empire in the current central and southeastern United States before the invasion of the Europeans. According to the history of the US, Cahokia was the most extensive urban center north of Mexico and the middle Mississippian culture, with an estimated population of 15,000. Members of the ancient Cahokia society-built pyramids and practiced human sacrifice.
What I would include in a videotape recording are the vast earth mounds and pyramids that spread across Mississippi. The pyramids were immense, with a full square bottom and flat tops (Pierce & Matisziw, 2018). On the slopes of these earth mounds were steps, which led to homes of the civic leaders at the top. At the center of the urban land in the Mississippi, stood the highest earth mound, approximately 100 feet high. Also, on the outskirts, extensive lands with crops, especially corn stretched down the valleys, which I would capture in the video recorder.
Additionally, I would take notes and take photographs of the changes, which occurred before and after the glacial melt swept off the soil and crops on the land between Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Over time, the glaciers receded, and an 80-mile-wide bottom was left derelict, however, after 700 AD, the Native Americans occupied the area. Finally, I would engage the locals to ask about their culture and nature of the landscapes. Historical records do not clearly state whether the landscapes were natural or built by the inhabitants, therefore, interviewing locals would raise the right answers. Also, the ethnicity of the Cahokians, their language, and songs, all which are unknown, could be valuable information to collect if I could go back in time. Although Cahokians had developed impressive culture, there are no known people who claim that Cahokia is their clan.
References
Pierce, D. E., & Matisziw, T. C. (2018). Prehistoric Panopticon: Settlement Visibility at Ancient Cahokia Mounds. Space and Culture, 1206331218805388.