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Post-Classical (500 CE - 1450 CE)

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Al-Umari’s Account of Mansa Musa’s Visit to Cairo

Mansa Musa was the leader of the Mali empire in the fourteenth century and reportedly the wealthiest person – allegedly ever. The empire covered modern-day Mali and parts of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, and the Gambia, and Mansa Musa expanded the territorial claim to include Gao and Timbuktu.

A stone monument with two stones acting as posts and a third stone sitting vertically atop the others. The monument sits on grass and there are trees seen in the background.

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Ha’amonga ‘a Maui in Tonga

Ha’amonga ‘a Maui is a stone trilithon located on the island of Tongatapu in Tonga. A stone trilithon is a stone monument with two large vertical stones acting as a post for the third stone set horizontally across the top.

A light-colored limestone altar. The altar is round and has glyph blocks in the center that are word and faded. Two cracks are on the altar but have had repairs lessening the lines.

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Altar from the Classic Maya Period

This limestone altar was created by the Maya culture sometime between 300 and 900 CE and found in Belize in Central America. The altar is round and was carved with twenty glyph blocks on top, which are now faded and display cracks but also attempts at repairs.

A large, earthen mound covered in grass set against a blue sky. The mound has stairs with people using them.

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The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is an archaeological site of a pre-Columbian Native American city located in southwestern Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri.

A tan colored tunic stretched to show the height and width. The tunic has a simple slit for the neck, a red and brown geometric design along the chest, and red embroidery along the hem.

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Inca Miniature Tunic

This cotton and camelid hair tunic dates from the 14th-16th century CE in Peru, and was simply constructed from a rectangle of fabric, with a slit for the neck and open sides for the arms.

Islands under the sphere of Tongan influence in Oceania. The islands are green and the background is blue to represent the water. The screenshot is cropped to focus on the islands in the northwest of the empire.

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Tu'i Tonga Empire Map

The Tu’i Tonga Empire was an Oceanic maritime chiefdom centered on the island of Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, and flourished between 1200-1500 CE.

A map featured on the website. Displayed are regions in the United State with mound sites, and featured in purple are the mound sites in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois. Featured in yellow are mound sites in Wisconsin and Iowa.

Review

The Moundbuilders' Art: A Confluence of 'Ingenuity, Industry, and Elegance'

The amount of information and resources included in the exhibit are targeted and would likely not overwhelm a high school student. Alternatively, the site is full of resources that could be used separately, especially for younger students.

A map centered on Oceania with the three dominant cultures highlighted. The Micronesia in the top left is pink, Melanesia is under Micronesia and labeled blue.

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Pacific Culture Areas Map

This map illustrates the three dominant cultures in Oceania, Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, and which islands occupy each region. This map successfully highlights the number of island nations/cultures and the overall size of Oceania.

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Polynesian Oral Traditions

This collection compiled by Rawiri Taonui, a professor of Indigenous Studies, includes creation myths and stories about gods, the origin of humanity, and cultural heroes for several Polynesian cultures, such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, and numerous others.

A moai head with distinctively large nose and lips, rectangular ears, and a large forehead.

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Moai on Easter Island

The Moai are large statues on Easter Island in Oceania, known for their distinctive head and facial features. The moai were created by the Rapa Nui people likely between 1250 and 1600 CE.