﻿96 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. J 2 



upper plateau near tlie southeastern corner but it was removed many 

 years ago. The northwestern portion of the great mound is deeply 

 gullied and very irregular in contour ; it is a question whether this part 

 of the structure was ever completed. 



Cahokia is the largest earthwork in the United States and one of 

 the most remarkable monuments left by the native tribes. Fortunately 

 it remains in its original condition, practically untouched since the 

 coming of Europeans, and in this condition it should be preserved. 

 With each succeeding generation, as the lesser mounds and other 

 earthworks disappear by reason of the cultivation of the soil or the 

 requirement of the land for other purposes, this great terraced work 

 is destined to become of greater popular interest and immediate steps 

 should be taken to make certain its preservation. 



The several groups, as indicated on tlie map, may now be described 

 in detail. 



NORTH GROUP 



Eleven mounds constitute this group which stands on the north 

 side of Long Lake, near the station of Mitchell. They are about 

 three and one-half miles east of the Mississippi, nearly midway across 

 the lowlands and some seven miles west of north of Cahokia. When 

 the group was surveyed March 13, 1900, it was not possible to deter- 

 mine the original shape of several of the mounds. The land had been 

 cultivated for many years and this, with the constant washing and 

 wearing away of the surface, had caused the works to assuiue an 

 entirely different appearance from their original condition. 



The largest mound of this group stood apart and to the west of the 

 main cluster. It was practically destroyed years ago at the time of 

 the construction of two railroads which pass through it, but parts of 

 the work may now be traced between and on either side of the tracks. 

 ]\Iany remarkable objects of stone and coj^per were recovered during 

 the destruction of the structure. 



As is shown on the map the large mound stood to the west. The 

 mound nearest it on the east, as determined by the survey of 1900. 

 was 1,200 feet distant and at that time had a maximum elevation of 

 9.3 feet above the plain, and was of circular form with a diameter of 

 approximately 237 feet. Eastward from this mound are other units 

 of the group. The highest mound of the group at that time measured 

 10.4 feet, but undoubtedly the large work to the west was originally 

 much higher than any now standing. 



