The Spiritual and Ceremonial Life of the City

One of the most striking aspects of the archaeological record from Cahokia is the evidence it provides for the religious and ceremonial life of the city’s inhabitants — evidence that reveals a rich symbolic world that was deeply integrated with the organization of the physical landscape, the management of political authority, and the conduct of daily life.

The most dramatic single piece of ceremonial evidence from Cahokia is the structure known as Woodhenge — a series of large wooden posts set in circular patterns that appear to have functioned as a kind of calendar or astronomical observation device.

The posts were arranged so that an observer standing at a specific point would see the sun rise over specific posts on the equinoxes and solstices, and possibly on other astronomically significant dates.