Cahokia, Archaeological site in East St. Louis, United States.
Cahokia is a pre-Columbian settlement site near Collinsville in Illinois consisting of about 80 preserved earthen monuments spread across roughly 900 hectares. The largest mound called Monks Mound reaches a height of 30 meters and covers around 6 hectares at its base.
Between the 7th and 14th centuries this location developed into the largest North American settlement north of Mexico before European arrival. The peak came in the 12th century when several thousand people likely lived here and traded with distant regions.
The ancient inhabitants built trade networks, crafted pottery and created gathering places for communal rituals. Today the preserved mound structures and artifacts illustrate how this society organized and used space for religious and social purposes.
A museum operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources displays archaeological findings, offers educational programs and organizes guided walks around the site. The expansive grounds are best visited with sturdy footwear and can be explored easily on foot or by bicycle.
Under Mound 72, archaeologists found a man buried around 1050 beneath 20,000 marine-shell beads and 800 unused arrows, accompanied by 53 strangled women aged 15 to 25. About 280 skeletons have been excavated at the site, many showing injuries before death, pointing to human sacrifice.
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