Sinnissippi Mounds, Archaeological burial mounds in Sterling, Illinois.
Sinnissippi Mounds is a burial site with several earthen mounds in Sterling, Illinois, positioned on a high bluff overlooking the Rock River. The grounds offer various paths to explore and command views across a broad river valley.
The mounds were built about two thousand years ago by members of the Havana Hopewell culture as burial grounds. This culture was known across the region for their ability to construct monuments and establish complex settlement patterns.
The mounds were built by people who understood how to shape the land in meaningful ways and placed them where they could be seen from far away. This choice of location shows how important these burial sites were to the communities that built them.
The site is easily accessible within the park with marked paths and informational signs at key locations. The best time to visit is spring through fall when weather is stable and paths remain dry.
In the 1870s the Sterling Scientific Club documented the site thoroughly and collected many artifacts before later digging damaged the place. These early records are valuable today for understanding what once stood here.
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