▁in ▁this ▁h ollow ▁space ▁were ▁so ▁favor able ▁that ▁objects ▁made ▁of ▁per ish able ▁materials ▁such ▁as ▁basket ry , ▁w oven ▁fabric ▁of ▁veget al ▁and ▁animal ▁fib ers , ▁la ce , ▁fur , ▁and ▁fe athers ▁were ▁preserved ▁inside ▁it . ▁In ▁historic ▁tribes , ▁such ▁objects ▁have ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁created ▁by ▁women . ▁Also ▁found ▁inside ▁were ▁several ▁examples ▁of ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁stone ▁stat u ary ▁made ▁from ▁Missouri ▁fl int ▁cl ay ▁and ▁Mill ▁Creek ▁ch ert ▁b if aces , ▁all ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁originally ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁C ah ok ia ▁site ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁The ▁" Gre at ▁Mort u ary ," ▁as ▁arch ae olog ists ▁called ▁this ▁h ollow ▁chamber , ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁begun ▁as ▁a ▁bur ial ▁structure ▁for ▁S pi ro ' s ▁r ul ers . ▁It ▁was ▁created ▁as ▁a ▁circle ▁of ▁sacred ▁ced ar ▁posts ▁s unk ▁in ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁ang led ▁together ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁like ▁a ▁tip i . ▁The ▁cone - sh aped ▁chamber ▁was ▁covered ▁with ▁layers ▁of ▁earth ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁m ound , ▁and ▁it ▁never ▁col lapsed . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁min er als ▁per col ating ▁through ▁the ▁m ound ▁hard ened ▁the ▁chamber ' s ▁log ▁walls , ▁making ▁them ▁resist ant ▁to ▁decay ▁and ▁shield ing ▁the ▁per ish able ▁artifact s ▁inside ▁from ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁earth . ▁No ▁other ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁m ound ▁has