Monk's Mound

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Monk's Mound is the largest Pre-Columbian earthwork of in North America north of Mesoamerica. Located in what is now Collinsville, Illinois, it is over 100 feet (30.5m) tall, 1037 feet (316 m) long, and 790 feet (241 m) wide. This makes Monk's Mound larger at its base than the Great Pyramid of Giza, but unlike Egyptian monumental construction, it is constructed entirely of basket-transported soil. The mound is comprised primarily of four major subsequent construction layers, or terraces, each smaller and more recently constructed than the last. It may be the only mound with more than two terraces in the eastern half of North America. Erosion and damage in the historic era have significantly altered the mound over time so that its original size is uncertain.

Monk's Mound was constructed by a large society of the Mississippian culture in the large community today known as Cahokia. The mound appears to have been used as a monumental supporting structure for religious or governmental ceremonies. The top terrace supported a building as much as 50 feet tall, while other buildings serving other functions rested atop the lower terraces. The function of the mound may have been akin to the pyramids of Mesoamerican cultures, with ceremonies or government functions carried out on its various levels.

Atop Monk's Mound

It acquired its modern name generations after the building civilization fell, when a group of Christian monks lived nearby, possibly gardening on its first terrace.

External Links

[link]Cahokia Monk's Mound Information

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