Ancient sunrise observation at Cahokia Mounds continues with or without sun

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A thunderstorm didn’t stop more than a dozen people from gathering to pay homage to ancient Illinoisans for Sunday’s Fall Equinox.

The event was the annual equinox sunrise ceremony at Cahokia Mounds National Historic site’s “Woodhenge,” a massive sundial built and added to from the 10th to the 12th century from the trunks of red cedars, a tree often held as sacred by Native American groups.

The event usually begins at 6:30 from the center of the sundial with a quick description of the event from an official and is shortly followed by an observation of the equinox, when the eastern post aligns with the sun. This year, a deluge of rain and chorus of thunder providing a deviation from the typically peaceful ceremony.

“This is one of the worst ones as far as rain that we’ve ever had,” said Bill Iseminger, a retired archaeologist who also served as the site’s assistant manager.

“But we’ve still been coming out here every year since 1985.”

Iseminger said the site was used as a pre-writing calendar of sorts, but likely also held some sort of spiritual importance to ancient Cahokians . Out of respect for the fore comers and Indigenous cultures in general, the park holds no ceremonies at the site.

“We just do an explanation — an interpretation of what’s going on at the site, why the people used it,” said Iseminger.

While some attendees took off their shoes and performed low-key spiritual rituals, others attended simply just to be there. Some drove in from Kansas City, while others confirmed that previous years had seen people fly all the way in from Europe.

“People want to come and see this ancient, spiritual place, and for good reason,” said St. Charles, Missouri resident Abiligail Svoboda, who has gone to the ceremony for the past two years.

“You can definitely feel how important this place is — it’s one of the oldest places in North America,” she said. “Seeing the sun align with the pillar is powerful.”

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