This page will soon contain recent research done at Hutchison Research Center on the Wood Henge portion of the Cahokia site in Alton Ill, but for now I'll supply a brief note.

Woodhenge has been the subject of much debate and guesswork over the years as have many other aspects of the Temple Mound culture of the Mississippian era. What we do know is that the posts that encircle the site are precisely arranged to form a circle and that at solstice the sun lines up along a line that starts from the center post, passes over one of the outer posts, and ends at a post on a mound. This alone demonstrates a degree of mathematical knowledge as does the geometry displayed by this culture in other constructs.

Another important fact is the size of the circle. This circle began as a rather small one and was added to periodically by it's builders until it reached the size it is today. Why? Perhaps the answer has been in front of us for 400 yrs........

In this imiage a smaller version of a "Woodhenge" can be seen in use. The circle was used as a welcoming place for visiting chiefs, each having a post that represented his clan. The size of the circle and posts were dependant on the number of clans and the status of the town in the empire. If the circle of posts is viewed carefully faces can be seen carved at the top of each.

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