"Otter Pond --You Oughta Come"

Centuries before Columbus arrived, a powerful culture rose up in the Mississippi Valley. These people built a sophisticated civilization that became the largest north of Mexico. Up to 20,000 people populated Cahokia which made it larger than London in 1250 AD. These people influenced cultures from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. They made significant advances in astronomy, agriculture, and economics. And then they disappeared.

The Mississippian period began 1100 years ago (AD 900) and continued in Illinois until 550 yrs ago (AD 1450). According to Dr. Jacob Skousen, Illinois Archaeologist, there was a Mississippian-populated site near Otter Pond along the Embarras River in Lawrence County.

For more about these people visit the Cahokia Mounds website. OR BETTER Yet, come to Dr Skousen's presentation “Exploring Mississippian Culture from Cahokia to Otter Pond” on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Christian Church at Pinkstaff near Lawrenceville.

This engaging program examines the relationship between Cahokia Mounds—the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico—and the Otter Pond site in Lawrence County. Dr. Skousen will explore whether Otter Pond functioned as a satellite community and what archaeological evidence reveals about its economic, social, and religious connections within the broader Mississippian world (c. 1000–1400 CE).

Focusing on features such as platform mounds, regional culture, and agricultural systems, the presentation highlights how sites like Otter Pond contributed to a vast and interconnected network across the Midwest.