Visiting the Cahokia Mounds and seeing the 'woodhenge' differently

I was at the Cahokia Mounds site near Collinsville, Illinois last month. The guide was talking about the reconstructed 'woodhenge' posts, saying they were mainly for marking the solstices. But standing there, looking at the layout and the huge Monk's Mound behind it, I don't buy that it was just a calendar. The posts are in a big circle, sure, but the spacing feels off for just tracking the sun. I think it had more to do with gathering people, maybe for ceremonies you couldn't hold on the mound itself. The ground is flat and open there, perfect for a crowd. Everyone focuses on the astronomical angle, but I walked the whole circle and the sight lines to the main mound seem just as important. Has anyone else been there and thought the woodhenge's purpose might be more about people than planets?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_bailey8523d ago

Check out the museum's audio tour, it covers the crowd theory too.

paige87023d ago

Hey @cole_bailey85, does the tour actually pick a side on that theory or just lay it out?