That time I rolled my eyes at the whole 'shifting rivers' theory about ancient cities

I remember reading about how they think the Mississippi River used to flow right past those old Cahokia mounds back around 1100 AD and I thought yeah sure, another wild theory. But then I actually drove out there to the site near Collinsville, Illinois last fall and walked around. The ground is lower in certain spots and you can really see where a channel might have cut through. The park ranger showed me these core samples they pulled up from the ground with layers of sand and silt that only come from a big river. I guess after seeing that and the fact that no major river runs there today, it finally clicked. Kind of wild to think those people built a whole city right on a river that just up and moved on them. Has anyone else been to a site where they changed your mind just by seeing the physical evidence in person?

2 comments

2 Comments

terry_barnes19d ago

My buddy actually had the same thing happen to him out at Poverty Point in Louisiana. He went there thinking it was just some random dirt mounds and came back all hyped about how you can see the old river terrace and the trading goods from all over the continent that only got there by water. He's still talking about it a year later lol.

shanegibson19d ago

Yeah that Poverty Point stuff really gets under your skin once you start looking into it.