Mitchell Archaeological Site

The Mitchell Archaeological Site in Mitchell, Illinois, preserves a platform mound and village remains from a pre-Columbian Mississippian settlement inhabited around 1150 to 1200. It formed part of the Cahokia settlement system and was the largest site outside Cahokia itself, making it important evidence of the reach of Cahokia’s regional influence. The settlement originally included several more mounds, but much of it was lost to modern development. Over time, mounds were destroyed, and construction of Interstate 270 eliminated most of what remained, leaving salvage excavations conducted before highway construction as a major source of present knowledge about the site.

Pontoon Beach, Illinois · United States