The Priest-chief. |
Like tribal societies, but unlike states, chiefs do not have at their disposal
specialists in the form of a standing army or police to force their will on
commoners. Rather, because religious and political beliefs are strongly
intertwined and embodied in the chief, much enforcement comes passively by way
of religious indoctrination and a world view held by all members of that
society (see below). And, as is the case with ruling elites in all societies,
wealth provides another means of coercion via bribes and payments.
Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to believe the Cahokia elite could not raise a body of warriors when threatened or gravely insulted. By all accounts, Cahokia was the largest pre-Columbian settlement in North America, giving it the ability to consistently raise both small raiding parties and larger groups of warriors whenever the need arose.
Reconstruction of fortifications and bastions at Cahokia. |