Spring sunrise, Arkansas lecture and trivia night

COLLINSVILLE - An observance of the Spring Equinox sunrise, an Arkansas mounds lecture and the second annual Trivia Night are just a few of the events planned at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site during the next few weeks.

 

            The Spring Equinox sunrise will be observed at the reconstructed Woodhenge sun calendar on Sunday morning, March 18.  Participants should arrive by 5:45 a.m. to hear an explanation of how Woodhenge was discovered, how it works, and what is known about the several times it was built.  The observance is usually held on the Sunday morning closest to the actual equinox so more people are able to attend, so this observance will be a few days earlier than the actual Spring Equinox on March 21.  No ceremonies or rituals will be performed.  The Woodhenge reconstruction is one-half mile west of Monks Mound on Collinsville Road.

 

            "Parkin Mounds:  Mississippians and DeSoto in Northeast Arkansas" is a lecture that will be presented Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m. by Dr. Jeffrey Mitchem.  The Parkin site is a small mound complex that dates to the late Mississippian period and is believed to be one of the sites that Hernando DeSoto and his entourage visited in 1541.  Some artifacts from that period have been found at the Parkin site.  Mitchem will discuss the archaeology that has been done at the site and the historical records that suggest this might be the site of the village of Casqui that was noted in DeSoto expedition documents.

 

            The second annual Trivia Night will be held Saturday, April 14 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Interpretive Center.  A limited number of tables for 8 to 10 people are available at $10 per person.  Participants may bring their own snacks and drinks.  In addition to the trivia contest, there will be a silent auction of many items contributed by local businesses, organizations and individuals, as well as door prizes for the contestants.  Trivia Night is a fundraiser to assist the Powell Archaeological Research Center and the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society.  To reserve tables, call the Museum Society at (618) 344-7316, or email cmms@ezl.com.

 

            Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is just eight miles from downtown St. Louis in Collinsville, Illinois, off Interstates 55/70 (Exit 6) and I-255 (Exit 24) on Collinsville Road.  The site is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays and Tuesdays through April 15.  It will be open seven days a week from April 16 through Labor Day. There is no admission charge although a donation of $2 for adults and $1 for children is suggested.  For more information or a Calendar of Events, call (618) 346-5160 or visit www.cahokiamounds.com.