Editing Timber circle (section)

===Cahokia ===
[[File:Cahokia Woodhenge at Sunrise HRoe 2017sm.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Artist's conception of Woodhenge III, Cahokia, at sunrise circa 1000 CE]]
[[File:Mound 72 Woodhenge diagram HRoe 2013.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Solstice and equinox markers at the Md 72 woodhenge, Cahokia, with the hypothesized full circle of posts]]
{{main|Cahokia Woodhenge|Mound 72}}
The existence of the series of woodhenges at Cahokia was discovered during [[salvage archaeology]] undertaken by Dr. Warren Wittry in the early 1960s in preparation for a proposed highway interchange. Although the majority of the site contained village house features, a number of unusually shaped large post holes were also discovered. They formed a series of arcs of evenly spaced posts. Wittry hypothesized that the arcs could be whole circles and that the site was possibly a calendar for tracking solar events such as solstice and equinoxes. He began referring to the circles as "woodhenges"; comparing the structures to ones found in England.<ref>{{cite journal | author= Wittry, Warren L. | title= An American Woodhenge | journal= Cranbrook Institute of Science Newsletter | volume= 33 |issue=9| pages = 102–107| date= 1964|via= ''Explorations into Cahokia Archaeology'', Bulletin 7, Illinois Archaeological Survey, 1969}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| author=Wittry, Warren L. | title= Discovering and Interpreting the Cahokia Woodhenges | journal= The Wisconsin Archaeologist | volume=77 |issue=3/4| pages= 26–35}}</ref> Additional excavations found evidence for five timber circles in the general vicinity, now designated Woodhenges I through V in [[Roman numerals]]. Each was a different diameter and had a different number of posts. Because four of the circles overlap each other it is thought they were built in a sequence, with each iteration generally being larger and containing 12 more posts than its predecessor.<ref name=ISEMINGER>{{cite web| title= The Skywatchers of Cahokia | author= Iseminger, William R. | url= http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/home/skywatchers-of-cahokia | publisher= Mexicolore | access-date= 2017-12-19 }}</ref> A full sequence for what has become known as Woodhenge III was found (except for nine posts on the western edge that had been lost to dump trucks for road construction fill) and a reconstruction of the circle was built in 1985; with the posts being placed into the original excavated post positions.<ref name=ISEMINGER/> The Illinois State Park system oversees the Cahokia site and hosts public sunrise observations at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices. Out of respect for Native American beliefs these events do not feature ceremonies or rituals of any kind.<ref>{{cite web| title= Welcome the Fall Equinox at Cahokia Mounds| author= Iseminger, William | publisher= Illinois Department of Natural Resources | url= https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/Welcome-the-Fall-Equinox-at-Cahokia-Mounds.aspx | access-date= 2017-12-20 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title= Winter Solstice Sunrise Observance at Cahokia Mounds| publisher = Collinsville Chamber of Commerce| url = http://www.discovercollinsville.com/events/details/winter-solstice-sunrise-observance-at-cahokia-mounds-3895 | access-date= 2017-12-20 }}</ref><ref name=ICT>{{Cite news| title= Cahokia Mounds Mark Spring Equinox : The keepers of Cahokia Mounds will host a spring gathering to celebrate the vernal equinox | url= https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/travel/destinations/spring-equinox-cahokia-mounds/ | newspaper=Indian Country Today | publisher= [[Indian Country Media Network]] | access-date=2017-12-20 }}</ref>

Archaeologist Marvin Fowler has speculated that the woodhenges also served as “aligners” and that there may have been as many as 3 more in other strategic locations around the city of Cahokia, built to triangulate and lay out construction projects. At least one other possible circle at Cahokia has been put forward by Fowler, but his suggestion has not yet gained full acceptance by other archaeologists.<ref name=ISEMINGER/> This location was discovered near [[Mound 72|Mounds 72 and 96]], directly to the south of Monks Mound. Several post holes of what may have been a ceremonial area with a {{convert|412|ft|m}} in diameter circle and 48 posts.<ref name=YoungWoodhenges>{{cite book | author= Young & Fowler | chapter= Woodhenges revisited | title = Cahokia: The Great Native American Metropolis | year = 2000 |pages=216–243 }}</ref> Archaeologists have dated the placement of at least one of the posts to approximately 950 CE.<ref name=UWMALMOUND72>{{cite web| title= Mound 72 | publisher= UW-Milwaukee Archaeological Laboratory |url = http://www4.uwm.edu/archlab/cahokia/mound72.cfm |access-date= 2017-12-19}}</ref> Archaeological research has shown that four of the posts were at the cardinal locations of north, south, east and west, with eastern and western posts marking the position of the equinox sunrise and sunsets. Four other posts in the circle were shown to be at the summer solstice sunrise and sunset and the winter solstice sunrise and sunset positions. This setup is nearly identical to the diameter and post positions of Woodhenge III, differing only in that Woodhenge III was {{convert|2|ft|m}} smaller in diameter. The placement of the two mounds at the location and the directions in which they are oriented correspond to several of the solstice marking posts.<ref name=YoungWoodhenges/> The post nearest the later elite burial of the "Birdman" is the location that marked the summer solstice sunrise at the times of the sites use.<ref name=CAHOKIALAYOUT>{{cite web| title= Cahokia Layout | publisher= Illinois State Museum |url = http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/landings/Ambot/prehistory/mississippian/technology/fac-cahokia-layout.html |access-date= 2017-12-19}}</ref> The early stages of the mounds were actually constructed around the posts, although at a later point the posts were removed.<ref name=YoungWoodhenges/>