Existing comment:
The top of Monks Mound gives you a view of the river behind it. The Interstate runs this side of the river.
Third and Fourth Terraces:
Excavations and corings indicate Monks Mound was built in many stages from AD 900-1200. Entirely man-made, the mound is 100 feet high and covers 14 acres at its base, making it the largest prehistoric earthen structure in the new world.
Excavations on the Fourth Terrace revealed former trench and post locations for a building 104x48 feet (32m x 15m), probably the residence of the leader and the religious/political focus of this urban center. A fenced courtyard, with a huge post in the center, enclosed the Fourth Terrace.
In the 1830s, Amos Hill built his farm complex on the Third Terrace and removed a small mound on the southeast corner. He is buried on the northwest corner of the Fourth Terrace. |