Wow Don. It's fortunate that good people like you and your wife were there to jump in and help.
damar, that mound suggests that the site was part of the vast Mississippian culture.
DIGRESSION on prehistoric Native American cultures follows. If this isn't your thing, please ignore...
The Mississippian culture covered much of the US interior, from the Canadian border south to the gulf coast, and as far west as Oklahoma. It is characterized by mound building: earthen mounds, usually square in shape; often displaying a sophisticated knowledge of astronomy. In most Mississippian sites maize was the primary food crop.
The greatest of the Mississippian cities was Cahokia, located in southern Illinois just across the Mississippi from present day St. Louis. Cahokia had established trade routes as long as 1000 miles. At its peak, Cahokia probably had a population exceeding that of London at the time. Cahokia (and the Mississippian culture as well), flourished for about 800 years; from before 800 AD until the mid 1500s.
The largest mound at Cahokia is called Monk's Mound. It is a rectangular, multi-terraced mound made of earth carried one basketball at a tine. It is now around 100 feet high, and its perimeter exceeds that of the largest of the Egyptian pyramids. Another feature is the woodhenge; a circle of tall wooden posts and a central viewing station that together were very accurate in determining the solstices, critical to knowing when to plant crops
So what happened to Cahokia (and the Mississippian culture)? Current thinking suggest two causes for their demise:
1) DeSoto's explorations in the mid 1500s brought measles and smallpox, diseases against which the native Americans had to resistance. About the same time a climatic event called the Little Ice Age took place, likely having serious effects on the cultivation of maize.
Remnants of the Cahokia lineage live on in the Cherokee and Natchez peoples.
Cahokia has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
I was fortunate to have spent my last college term on an archaeological dig at Cahokia. It was a great summer. My college girlfriend talked her way into the group and joined us after a few days. We got engaged there and against the odds are still together.
Apologies for digressing.
Hi Lorell. What a cute photo!
Rich, you posted while I was correcting my many typos. Your first two photos show a husky, classic beauty. And about the third one, I know it's a realistic capture, but I really like the abstract quality to it. Nice!.
Ron's roses are struggling to hang on, and the one that is faring the worst is my favorite - the Ketchup & Mustard rose. This is the lone K-M rose spotted on today's morning walk; it is surrounded by weeds and overshadowed by taller growth...
damar, that mound suggests that the site was part of the vast Mississippian culture.
DIGRESSION on prehistoric Native American cultures follows. If this isn't your thing, please ignore...
The Mississippian culture covered much of the US interior, from the Canadian border south to the gulf coast, and as far west as Oklahoma. It is characterized by mound building: earthen mounds, usually square in shape; often displaying a sophisticated knowledge of astronomy. In most Mississippian sites maize was the primary food crop.
The greatest of the Mississippian cities was Cahokia, located in southern Illinois just across the Mississippi from present day St. Louis. Cahokia had established trade routes as long as 1000 miles. At its peak, Cahokia probably had a population exceeding that of London at the time. Cahokia (and the Mississippian culture as well), flourished for about 800 years; from before 800 AD until the mid 1500s.
The largest mound at Cahokia is called Monk's Mound. It is a rectangular, multi-terraced mound made of earth carried one basketball at a tine. It is now around 100 feet high, and its perimeter exceeds that of the largest of the Egyptian pyramids. Another feature is the woodhenge; a circle of tall wooden posts and a central viewing station that together were very accurate in determining the solstices, critical to knowing when to plant crops
So what happened to Cahokia (and the Mississippian culture)? Current thinking suggest two causes for their demise:
1) DeSoto's explorations in the mid 1500s brought measles and smallpox, diseases against which the native Americans had to resistance. About the same time a climatic event called the Little Ice Age took place, likely having serious effects on the cultivation of maize.
Remnants of the Cahokia lineage live on in the Cherokee and Natchez peoples.
Cahokia has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
I was fortunate to have spent my last college term on an archaeological dig at Cahokia. It was a great summer. My college girlfriend talked her way into the group and joined us after a few days. We got engaged there and against the odds are still together.
Apologies for digressing.
Hi Lorell. What a cute photo!
Rich, you posted while I was correcting my many typos. Your first two photos show a husky, classic beauty. And about the third one, I know it's a realistic capture, but I really like the abstract quality to it. Nice!.
Ron's roses are struggling to hang on, and the one that is faring the worst is my favorite - the Ketchup & Mustard rose. This is the lone K-M rose spotted on today's morning walk; it is surrounded by weeds and overshadowed by taller growth...
Don't blame me - I didn't vote for him!
Nikon D7500 with Nikkor 18-300 mm; PSE2021, PSCS5
Ny Flickr Albums