The Cahokia Mounds

Cahokia Mound in Collinsville IL — There’s a mass grave on the premise

Climbing up the Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois, is one of the breathtaking views we could ever see.

The park is around 3.5 square miles (9 km2) in size and has about 80 mounds, although the ancient city was considerably larger.

The mound is 1,000 feet long and 800 feet wide, with four terraces constructed. Between 900 and 1,200 A.D., the mound was built with an estimated 22 million cubic feet of earth. The mound was named after French monks who resided nearby in the early 1800s, and it was most likely where the city’s main monarch lived, performed rites, and ruled. Unfortunately, man has significantly damaged or degraded the mound over time, losing much of its original size.

The discovery of a small ridgetop mound known as Mound 72 was one of the most intriguing finds uncovered during excavations. Archeologists discovered the bodies of approximately 300 people here, most of whom were considered sacrifice victims. Another grave of what appeared to be a 45-year-old male monarch was found nearby. Several body parts buried around him are thought to be those of people who sacrificed their lives for him in the hereafter. He was buried on a bed of 20,000 marine shell disc beads.

Four more skeletons were discovered during the dig, all of which are still unknown. The heads and hands of these four individuals were gone from their…