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Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site in Pontoon Beach, IL
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Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

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In Pontoon Beach, IL, this mound and village site lies along Horseshoe Lake's northeast shore. Native people lived here from roughly A.D. 600 to 1050, and they raised a platform mound for a temple beside a village of houses. The village was part of the network of communities tied to Cahokia, and it is the best preserved of its type. It lies about 4 miles off the old road.

What is Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site?

The site has two parts: a flat-topped temple mound and the remains of a village with several houses. Archaeologists found plenty of plant and animal remains here too, and they show that the people who lived here grew maize.

Within the Cahokia system, this counted as a third-line community, meaning a settlement marked by having just one temple mound. Five such communities are known, and this is the only one still largely intact.

History of Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Mississippian peoples lived here in the Late Woodland period, roughly A.D. 600 to 1050. The site was listed on the National Register on November 26, 1980.

Visiting Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site: tips

Treat the mound as the historic and sacred place it is: stay off the earthwork, do not dig or collect anything, and keep the visit low-key. A short stop is enough.

The Mitchell Archaeological Site is right next to it, and Horseshoe Lake State Park, with trails and the lake itself, is about 1.9 miles away. Mound 34 is about 3.1 miles off for anyone following the mound builders' trail.

Practical info

Address
Pontoon Beach, IL 62040
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

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  • Crown Candy Kitchen in St. Louis, MO
    Diner & restaurant

    Crown Candy Kitchen

    St. Louis, MO · 7.9 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

    An old-fashioned soda fountain and candy shop in Old North St. Louis, known for handmade malts.

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Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site with the 6 closest stops and a place to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

All of Illinois
Mitchell Archaeological Site in Pontoon Beach, IL

Mitchell Archaeological Site

Pontoon Beach, Illinois · 3.9 mi from Route 66

Once the largest Cahokia-era town after Cahokia itself, mostly lost to Interstate 270.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

0.0 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison, IL

Horseshoe Lake State Park

Madison, Illinois · 5.0 mi from Route 66

A huge natural lake shaped like a horseshoe, with bike trails that reach the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.9 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Mound 34

Collinsville, Illinois · 6.9 mi from Route 66

A small mound at Cahokia where the only known Mississippian copper workshop was found.

Archaeology

3.1 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Cahokia in Collinsville, IL

Cahokia

Collinsville, Illinois · 7.3 mi from Route 66

The mounds of the largest ancient city north of Mexico, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

3.5 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Mound 72 in Collinsville, IL

Mound 72

Collinsville, Illinois · 7.6 mi from Route 66

A low ridgetop mound at Cahokia that began as a ring of posts and became an elite burial site.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

3.7 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis, MO

Chain of Rocks Bridge

St. Louis, Missouri · 0.3 mi from Route 66

A Mississippi River crossing with a sharp bend in the middle, once part of Route 66 and now open to walkers.

Historic bridgePhoto credit

7.0 mi from Horseshoe Lake Mound and Village Site

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