Websters Vote in April 2010 for Cahokia Mounds, Prehistoric America's Largest City

Cahokia Mounds is looking for money from Pepsi to acquire more land once part of the ancient city. They hope you can act now to help.

Although there are 100s of acres of property with carefully manicured grass that form the center of the World Heritage Site, centered on the biggest mound, Monk's Mound, and some of the other principal mounds, the fact is the city was a sprawling place radiating outward from Monk's Mound and other major mounds in the city center. After all, the 10-to-20,000 Cahokians that live there did not reside in skyscrapers.

Currently, there are 1,600 acres, which includes scared mounds, which have not been saved. Some of this land is currently up for sale and has been targeted for development. The Cahokia Mounds Historic Society is moving for quick action. This land could be lost to development, strip malls and concrete burying forever access to some of the secrets of prehistoric Cahokia of 1,000 years ago.

Cast Your Vote for Cahokia

The society is asking their supporters to vote for Cahokia Mounds in the $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Everything grant program. Voting takes one minute and can be done at http://www.refresheverything.com/savecahokiamounds.

"Vote through Facebook option" is easiest, the society says. Votes need to be cast by April 30th with funding for the top 10 projects. You can vote once per day from any registered email address.

Each month, Pepsi gives away $1.3 million for great ideas. At this writing, Cahokia Mounds ranks as number 42 out of 11,532 ideas for the month of April.

$50,000 Pepsi Grants

Past Pepsi Refresh Everything grants have gone to provide comfort items for US servicemembers recovering from wounds, build a community playground in Washington state, and create a World Leadership Corps in New York City. By all means, vote monthly for projects worthy of funding, but in April, the Cahokia Mounds Historic Society is asking that people vote them into the top 10 to get a grant to preserve land around one of the premiere historic sites in the United States, threatened by development.

Background

The 100-foot-tall Monk's Mound was the mound from atop which the Great Sun, the religious and political leader, ruled his subjects. The mound overlooked a plaza where there was a market with a ballfield where games with religious significance were played. Surrounding the immediate downtown area was a protective upright log wall, a small portion of which has been rebuilt for illustrative purposes. The astronomical observatory made up of a circle of upright logs with one log in the center for sighting, located just west of Monk's Mound and dubbed Woodhenge, has also been reconstructed for viewing.

A multi-media visitor's center hosts special events as well as impressive permanent exhibits including a walk-through village complete with audio demonstrating ever day life of Cahokia residents. There are also pictures related to some of the amazing finds turned up by excavation, including the ritual sacrifices that have attracted attention with recent books. Other displays point up the paramount importance of corn in maintaining the city, speculations on why the city was eventually abandoned, and even a simulation of an actual excavation.

There's no telling what may be found in the area to be acquired.

For information about Cahokia Mounds you can go to the website at http://www.cahokiamounds.