Cahokia Mounds, part 1

Enroute to Edwardsville (yes, I did get my sparkling water), we went to Cahokia Mounds. I had been wanting to visit this ancient Indian site since we were in Missouri last year.

They were hosting a Native American art exhibit yesterday, so there was a crowd, which I didn't expect.

We were impressed with both the site and the exhibit hall. Huge, huge mounds, comparable to pyramids, around which was built a Native American center with 10-20,000 inhabitants. The wealth rested upon the huge amounts of corn that could be grown and stored. This land has been farmland for a long time.

The largest mound, Monk's mound, is named after some French Trappist monks who farmed on its terraces in the late 1800's.

The rain began just as we were ready to walk around the grounds and climb Monks Mound, so we will have to go back.

Meanwhile, this is what the Japanese Beetles are doing to the grapevine on the back fence.