Taproom Artifact: Cahokia Picture

This picture depicts Monks Mound as it appeared on October 16, 1907. It was named for a community of Trappist monks who resided there for a period after the Americas were settled by Europeans. Monks Mounds, standing over 10 stories tall, is part of the larger settlement of Cahokia. Located just miles from the present-day city of St. Louis, Cahokia is the largest pre-Columbian site north of Mexico. This site dates to the Messapian Period (800-1400) when mound builders where an advanced civilization with communities across Central and Southeastern United States . At its peak, Cahokia was the residence of approximately 20,000 people, approximately 120 mounds, and covered nearly six square miles. Cahokia was named after the Cahokia Tribe by  French Explorers.