Map of the distributions of mounds at Cahokia

Cahokia has the largest concentration of mounds of any Mississippian site. There were about 120 mounds over an area of nearly six square miles. Though the site was dynamic and changed over time, the general configuration of the site remained. The largest concentration of mounds is around Monks Mound, marking the center of the site. Small clusters of mounds are found at each of the corners of the site. In this map, you can see how mounds were grouped together and their orientations, as well as the overall plan of the site. This map also shows Canteen Creek joining Cahokia Creek, which flows into the Mississippi River. Recent excavations reveal that Cahokia was one part of a large urban center including the 50 mounds of the East St. Louis Precinct to the west, and the St. Louis Mound Group, a cluster of 26 mounds across the Mississippi River. The entire sprawling urban center, Greater Cahokia, dominated the Midwest with influence reaching as far as Oklahoma, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Alabama.