Volatile Climate Conditions Cahokia: Comment on Benson, Pauketat and Cook 2009

Research at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site reveals that climate variability, not just precipitation abundance, played a critical role in the development of social complexity during its peak period. While Benson et al. (2009) emphasized the importance of high precipitation, Nolan and Cook (2010) argue that fluctuating climatic conditions—measured using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)—were equally influential. Their analysis leverages existing PDSI reconstructions to demonstrate how variability in climate may have shaped Cahokia's societal structures. This perspective expands our understanding of how environmental factors drive cultural evolution, offering new insights into the resilience and adaptability of prehistoric societies.

Nolan, K. C., & Cook, R. A. (2010). Volatile Climate Conditions Cahokia: Comment on Benson, Pauketat and Cook 2009. American Antiquity, 75(4), 978–983. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.75.4.978