In 2007, an emergency preservation repair addressed a large slump area on the eastern side of Monks Mound. The repair involved cutting large stair steps, approximately seventy feet long, up the steep slope to stabilize the damage. Future slumping issues are anticipated, and the area was later backfilled with monitored soil to prevent further collapse.
2007 Cahokia excavation reveals colorful layered soil construction
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Key facts
- An emergency preservation excavation in 2007 removed approximately 30,000 cubic feet from the side of Monks Mound
- Excavation revealed alternating layers of colored soil: white, red, blue, black, and brown throughout the mound construction
- The soil colors varied in thickness and composition through different layers
- Archaeologists previously claimed nearby ponds were borrow pits for building materials, but they don't provide nearly enough material
- Soil was likely transported to the site in canoes or on rafts via the nearby Mississippi River
- Evidence of canals connecting to the Mississippi River has been found at the site
Sources
(DOC) History of Slumping on Monks Mound - Academia.eduacademia.edu
Repairs in 2007 involved excavating behind slickensides and backfilling with monitored soil to stabilize slumps. Future slumping issues are anticipated, ...
Monks Mound Slump Repair, Page 1 - Lithic Casting Lablithiccastinglab.com
This September, 2007 repair to Monks Mound involved cutting large stair steps, approximately seventy feet long, up the steep slope. The soil was excavated ...
Slump Repair Excavation On Monks Mound - Lithic Casting Lablithiccastinglab.com
The stair step structure is believed to be the best way to stabilize the slump damage. The area was later back filled with a different type of soil than was ...
Monks Mound at Cahokia was built in decades, not 250 years as ...drloihjournal.blogspot.com
In 2005 experts did emergency, high-tech repairs to the mound to shore it up. The completed repairs have saved Monks Mound from further collapse ...
Monks Mound - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
When the eastern side of the mound started to suffer serious slumping, it was not repaired. European settlers. There is no evidence of significant Native ...
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