North America. In present-day East St. Louis, the city of Cahokia, the capital of a sort of Native American grain-growing state, is abandoned. Something catastrophic, unknown to us, happens. In the previous two centuries, it had reached peak populations of 15,000, only to suddenly vanish into oblivion in 1350. To the south, still along the Mississippi, other similar kingdoms arise, which will similarly crumble. This scenario is called “Mississippian culture” and sees the self-conscious ability to engage in political and organizational debate as one of the highest human values, along with a love of individual freedom and skeptical rationalism. In 1350, however, something catastrophic happens, leading to a self-conscious rejection of everything Cahokia represents, including agriculture, and it is also erased from Native American oral traditions.
