Cahokia Culture

There were many ancient civilizations that conveyed their religious beliefs, spirituality, and worldviews through their architecture, decorations, and other artistic mediums. The three cultures that stand out the most in regards to their beliefs being conveyed through architecture and art are Cahokia, Nubia, and India. Cahokia was a Mississippian civilization located in what is modern day North America. One of the unique cultural aspects within their government, known as the chiefdom, was the way in which the ruler of Cahokia was treated in regards to their gods. In a chiefdom, the ruler is hereditary and the chiefdom is based on a gift-giving and communal culture. The chief of Cahokia built his home atop of high mounds while the rest

One example of their architecture that shows how important their gods were to them is the Deffufa. The Deffufa is a large block built from masonry mud and the palaces and temples were placed on top of this. This is very similar to how Cahokia was set up, the elite members were closest to the gods and the gods were held above all others in terms of importance. The Deffufa was found in the city of Kerma, and it is believed that this was a Nubian ceremonial place. The Deffufa is still an important ceremonial location today and many people visit it. Within ancient Nubian artifacts there is also evidence of what else was important to the ancient Nubians. Nubians were a part of a culture that worshipped cattle and the vital green lands along the Nile River. The gods replenished their lands and appeasement of the gods guaranteed that they would not face famine. Within Nubia rock art there art illustrations of cattle grazing on fertile lands. The cattle and vital land was a gift from the gods, which is why the ancient Nubians worshipped cattle, as evidenced by the rock art that was