▁created ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁any ▁European ▁expl or ers ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁possibly ▁before ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁CE . ▁The ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁image ▁was ▁at ▁a ▁river - bl uff ▁termin us ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁B ottom s ▁flo od plain . ▁It ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁older ▁icon ograph ▁from ▁the ▁large ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁culture ▁city ▁of ▁C ah ok ia , ▁which ▁began ▁developing ▁about ▁ 9 0 0 ▁CE . ▁C ah ok ia ▁was ▁at ▁its ▁peak ▁about ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁CE , ▁with ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁residents . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁pre histor ic ▁city ▁north ▁of ▁Mexico ▁and ▁a ▁major ▁chief dom . ▁I cons ▁and ▁animal ▁p ict ograph s , ▁such ▁as ▁fal cons , ▁th under - bird s , ▁bird ▁men , ▁and ▁mon str ous ▁sn akes ▁were ▁common ▁mot ifs ▁of ▁the ▁C ah ok ia ▁culture . ▁The ▁P ias a ▁creature ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁painted ▁as ▁a ▁graph ic ▁symbol ▁to ▁warn ▁str angers ▁travel ing ▁down ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁entering ▁C ah ok ian ▁territory . ▁ ▁An ▁Al ton ▁Even ing ▁Te legraph ▁newspaper ▁article ▁of ▁May ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁stated ▁that ▁seven ▁smaller ▁painted ▁images , ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁arch a ic ▁American ▁Indian ▁origin , ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2