Assessment Questions 14.1

1. How did Cahokia's influence extend beyond its immediate location, and what evidence of social complexity is mentioned in the text?

Cahokia's influence extended over a vast geographical area, and evidence of craft specialization, centralized production, and trade networks indicates social complexity.

2. Which European explorer encountered the descendants of the temple-mound builders, and what impact might they have unintentionally brought with them?

Hernando de Soto encountered the descendants, and they might have unintentionally brought infectious diseases, potentially contributing to the decline of mound-builder cultures.

3. What is Monks Mound, and what role did it play in Cahokia's social and political structure?

Monks Mound is a complex, four-tiered, truncated pyramid in Cahokia, serving as the platform for a chief's house or temple, symbolizing the power of Cahokia's political entity.