New Woodhenge Exhibit at Prehistoric Cahokia Mounds

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, home of the largest city in prehistoric North America, is inaugurating a new exhibit on Woodhenge, the astronomical observatory located on the grounds.

WOODHENGE

Woodhenge is a circle of upright logs with a central post, believed used for sighting purposes, measuring 410 feet. It is located just west of 100-foot-tall Monk's Mound atop which the Great Sun once ruled.

EXHIBIT

The exhibit is an audio-visual display at the visitor's center which helps clearly explain the form and
function of Woodhenge and complements the existing exhibit. Creator of the exhibit is St Albans, Missouri artist Bryan Haynes (Bryan Haynes Studio). Haynes created a dynamic mural of Woodhenge, that serves as the background for the exhibit with a flat-screen TV centered in the mural.

Partnering in developing and creating the exhibit were Rick Riccio of Riccio Exhibit Services and Gary Harmon of the Harmon Group, developed and created the exhibit. They subcontracted with George Little of Cineco Productions to produce the 8-minute video which runs on a continuous loop for visitors who can watch it seated comfortably on provided benches.

THE CITY OF CAHOKIA

Cahokia Mounds is visited by 350,000 people annually, and represents the core of a sprawling city of 10,000-20,000 people of the Mississippian culture. It was supported by a corn-based food system. There is a theory that the dependance on corn may, in fact, have not only been the enabling mechanism which made Cahokia possible but may also have been a contributor in its disintegration due to nutritional shortages caused by overdependence. On the other hand, the impact of climate change is another front-runner among explanations for the decline.

WOODHENGE FUNCTION

Woodhenge combined very simple and unimpressive tools (the upright logs) with sophisticated observations, presumably to assist in establishing all-important dates for ceremonies and rituals priests would have deemed critical to the planting and harvest process. Although Woodhenge is one of the most arresting observatories of its type, there are similar calendrical sites found throughout left behind by other cultures. For that matter, such observatories are found among ancient cultures worldwide.

Woodhenge went through four incarnations, the current circle represents the third construction.

Cahokia lasted from 800-1400 AD, peaking at 1050-1250AD, and consisted of a central plaza before Monk's Mound with mounds of different types around the area, the center of the city surrounded by a defensive wooden palisade. Residential huts continued to sprawl beyond the palisade and there were supporting villages, including farming and hunting villages, farther out, including perched on the limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississsippi River Vallery in which Cahokia lay. The city engaged in waterborne trade with other cultures as far south as the Gulf of Mexico and north to Minnesota.

CAHOKIA TODAY

Currently, the site consists of 2,200 acres although efforts continue to try and acquire more of adjacent property as it becomes avilable (a substantial acreage is, in fact, available now and is being sought). No one can guess what kind of discoveries could be made in any new acquisitions.

HOURS

Grounds are open 8am to dusk where Woodhenge itself can be visited. Collisnville Road which passes Monk's Mound runs right by Woodhenge, as well. Tours are self-guided but volunteers are available to answer questions.

LOCATION

The interpretive center where the Woodhenge display can be found, is open 9am to 5pm daily. There is also an orientation film called "City of the Sun" which is screened in the theater hourly from 10am to 4pm. An excellent gift shop includes a variety of merchandise that will make a memorable gift, from books, posters, videos, to Native American art, sculpture, jewelry, pottery, and other craft items, and more. There are also small, inexpensive souvenirs for children and adults, alike. The official website is at http://cahokiamounds.org/.

Only eight miles from the St Louis Gateway Arch, you can reach Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site by taking the off-ramp on I-255 at Exit 24 and turn left on Collinsville Road. It's very close to the interstate. In wintertime, with leaves off the trees, if you know where to look you can actually see the flat top of Monk's Mound as you zoom by on the overpass above Collinsville Road. Passengers only; I don't recommend drivers try to spot it.