September 19, 2015

Monk’s Mound at Cahokia May Have Been Built in only 20 Years

Researchers studying the largest mound at Cahokia, Monk’s Mound, are speculating that the moound may have been built very quickly. It has been believed that the mound took 250 years to build in 14 stages. the new research took samples from the mound when repairs on the mound were being done in 2005. They looked at plant remnants and found the non-food plants were annuals that live only one to five years. The evidence suggests that construction was continuous. And the plant remains point to Monk’s Mound being built in only 20 years. The unburned remains of the plants were well preserved and not decayed as they would have been over 250 years. And they also found that parts of the mound were constructed with whole sod blocks and not basktfuls of soil.

Lopinot and Schilling report their findings, with colleagues Gayle Fritz and John Kelly of Washington University, in the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology.

Western Digs has the story here;
http://westerndigs.org/americas-largest-earthwork-cahokias-monks-mound-may-have-been-built-in-only-20-years-study-says/

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