From Cahokia to the Wabash Valley: Exploring Mississippian Culture at Otter Pond

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Dr. Jacob Skousen of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey will present “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 and the Otter Pond site in Lawrence County. Dr. Skousen will explore how Otter Pond functioned as a satellite community and what archaeological evidence reveals about its economic, social, and religious connections within the Mississippian world (c. 1000–1400 CE). The presentation highlights how sites like Otter Pond contributed to a vast and interconnected network across the Midwest. These insights help archaeologists better understand how people, goods, and ideas moved throughout the Wabash Valley long before European contact. The public is invited to attend this free event hosted by the Central Wabash Archaeology Chapter and the Lawrence County Historical Society.