Beneath Illinois Lies America's BIGGEST Pyramid

Monks Mound is the largest pyramid north of Mexico, yet many people drive right past this massive earthwork in Illinois. Built by hand, one basket at a time, it was the heart of the ancient city of Cahokia, fifteen minutes from St. Louis. It isn't an Egyptian pyramid. It's earth, not stone, flat on top instead of pointed, and built to lift a building above a city of 10,000 to 20,000 people a thousand years ago. In this video, we look at who built it, how they did it, how its base compares to the Great Pyramid of Giza, and what you can see if you visit today. For anyone interested in North American archaeology, this is a look at how the Mississippian culture planned a pre-Columbian city around plazas, mounds, and even a solar calendar made of cedar posts. 0:00 The Hidden Pyramid in the American Midwest 0:49 Life in the Ancient City of Cahokia 2:30 Engineering a Mountain With Only Baskets 3:36 The Numbers 4:36 Not an Egyptian Pyramid 5:19 Why "Monks"? 5:43 What Happened? 6:21 Visiting Today Want to visit? Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is in Collinsville, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. There's an interpretive center, and you can climb the stairs to the top of Monks Mound. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Did you know this was in Illinois? Tell us in the comments, and let us know where you're watching from! Sources and further reading:- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Inspired by Redline Geography's video:    • Beneath Louisiana Lies a Lost World Older ...   GeoPage looks at a place that does not add up and finds the record that explains it. A river that missed the town. A border that cut the wrong way. A city that should have grown and did not. Subscribe for a new video every Friday: @TheGeoPage #MonksMound #Cahokia #Illinois #Archaeology #PreColumbian