Most of our day was spent at the Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, IL.
Cohakia Mounds is the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico. The site covered about 4,000 acres and included at least 120 mounds. The State of Illinois protects 2200 acres of the central portion of the site and 70 of the remaining 80 mounds. The site was named a U.S. National Landmark in 1965. In 1982, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated Cohokia Mounds a World Heritage Site for its significance in the prehistory of North America.
The first settlements at Cahokia appeared around 700 AD. The residents were Late Woodland Indians. They hunted, fished and cultivated gardens. From 800 - 1000 AD, the Mississippian (our name for them) culture began as highly structured communities with a complex ranked social and political system.
In 1050 AD, Cahokia became a regional center surrounded by farmsteads, villages and satellite towns with several mounds. It peaked between 1050-1200 AD, sprawling over 6 square miles with a population of between 10,000 and 20,000 people. It was the largest community north of Mexico. Cahokia was organized around Monks Mound and a 40-acre Grand Plaza where public gatherings took place.
The mounds were made of earth dug from "borrow pits" using stone and wood tools and carried in baskets on people's backs. Estimates are that 50 million cubic feet of earth was moved for mound construction alone. Most mounds show several construction stages; many of the "borrow pits" can still be seen. The most common mound was a rectangular platform which served as a base to elevate ceremonial buildings and residences of the elite. Conical and ridgetop mounds were often used for burials of important people or marked important locations. Most Cahokians were buried in cemeteries, not mounds.
It is a fascinating place if you have any interest at all in Native American history. Collinsville is just a few miles east of St. Louis, MO.
This is known as Monks Mound. It is the largest prehistoric earthen structure in the Americas. It contains an estimated 22 million cubic feet of earth. The base covers more than 14 acres; it rises to a height of 100 feet. A massive building once stood on its summit where the principal chief would have lived, conducted ceremonies and governed.
This picture was taken from the top of Monks Mound. There is a smaller mound in the foreground and a huge circle of logs called "Woodhenge". Woodhenges were used to determine the changing seasons and ceremonial dates. Five of these circular sun calendars were excavate. Each circle had a different diameter and a number of large, evenly spaced red cedar posts. They were constructed AD 1100-1200. Certain posts align with the rising sun at the Spring & Fall equinoxes and the Winter & Summer solstices.
9/12/12
Today was Abraham Lincoln day. We first visited Lincoln's home in Springfield - the only home he ever owned. He and Mary bought the then small cottage in 1844 when Lincoln's law practice was flourishing. Lincoln later added a second floor for their expanding family. Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer who had only one year of frontier schooling. He rode into Springfield in 1837 with all of his belongings. He was a persuasive arguer for Springfield becoming the state capitol.
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Lincoln's home after the second story was added |
Lincoln began his political career by serving eight years in the Illinois House of Representatives. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846 and served one term. He was nominated in June 1858 to run for the U.S. Senate, a race he lost to Stephen Douglas. Although he didn't win that election, the debates he had with Mr. Douglas set the the stage for his ultimate election as our 16th U.S. president.
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Lincoln's campaign wagon |
After visiting his home and the Visitor Center we walked to the Lincoln Library and Museum - state-run facilities. Lincoln's political career and achievements were the primary emphasis here. The museum houses two theaters that use the hologram technology to illustrate parts of Lincoln's presidential career--in particular the Civil War years and his efforts to abolish slavery. There's a facade of the White House that houses various Lincoln documents as well as artifacts of his, Mary's and some of his contemporaries. There is a re-creation of his early childhood home in Kentucky.
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Young Abe outside the cabin of his childhood |
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Replica of the White House |
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The Lincoln Family |
We ran out of time and never got to the Library.
9/11/12
We covered around 400 miles today pulling off the road in the town of Jacksonville, IL. Rolling hills were the primary topography; we left the pine and evergreen trees behind for a greater number of trees, most of which are the deciduous type. Too obvious not to notice were the tiered fields of corn or soybean. Don't know if the farmers have tiered the land for some unknown reason or if the land is just normally that way. We crossed over briefly into Missouri before re-entering Illinois by a bridge that spanned the mighty Mississippi. Our stopping point was Jacksonville, IL.
9/10/12
First thing this morning we visited the Prehistoric Indian Village in Mitchell, SD. This is an actual on-going dig site of what is believed to be a Mandan village that existed around 1000 A.D. The site sits on a hill. A river flowed by the village (later dammed to create present day Mitchell Lake) an essential at the time for both water usage and travel. There are believed to have been at least 18 dwellings in this village and many dogs. The horse was not introduced to the area until the Spanish conquistadors came so it was dogs that pulled the travois used to transport injured or ill people or skins or goods. The Mandan people were farmers. Their main crops were beans, corn and squash which they planned intermingled. The corn stalks gave the beans something to climb on; the squash leaves covered the ground and helped moisture to stay in the soil while keeping down the weeds.
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Actual dig site housed within the Thomson Center Archeodome |
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Bull Boat |
To the right is a "Bull Boat" which is made by stretching one bison hide over a wooden frame. It was best used by tying a series of them together to transport goods down a river; it was possible for a person to transport himself in it too but a little awkward to paddle.
Southern South Dakota is quite flat and today it was very windy (25 - 30 mph winds) and therefore rather dusty. Lots of goldenrod in bloom along the roadside and patches of pretty yellow flowers that are tall with blooms extending part way down the stalks/stems.
We ended our day in a little town in Iowa called Minden.
9/9/12
Today was a driving day. Thankfully, Jack and I both drive so we alternated drivers every couple of hours. At we started out, everywhere we looked there were prairie grasses on hilly terrain relieved at times by herds of cattle, a few bison (sign we passed said it was a "buffalo" ranch), an occasional green patch, and sometimes ponds of varying size and depth. What once had been marshy areas are mostly dried up. The drought has been fairly severe in South Dakota. A woman at the visitors center we stopped at told me that the "Indian corn" crop was so poor this year (because of drought) that they didn't think they would be able to change the murals on the Corn Palace - something they normally do every year.
We crossed into the Central Time Zone shortly after lunch and the landscape changed. There was evidence of vast (harvested) wheat fields and then huge fields of sunflowers ready to be harvested. Patches of red appeared as we got further east; I think these were fields of sorghum also ready to be harvested.
We arrived in Mitchell about 5 p.m. local time and will visit one or two attractions here tomorrow.