Cahokia Woodhenge
Okay, so a long time ago, way before you were born, some people called Native Americans lived in a place that we now call Cahokia. They were very clever and knew a lot about the world around them, even though they didn't have phones, computers, or TVs like we do today.
One of the things they built in Cahokia was something called a Woodhenge. A Woodhenge is like a big circle made out of wooden poles, kind of like a fence, but much taller. The poles were put in the ground in a certain way so that they formed a pattern, with some poles standing very tall in the middle and others shorter around the edges.
The Woodhenge was made especially to keep track of time. You see, these Native Americans didn't have clocks or watches like we do now, so they had to use the sun and the stars to tell time. The tall poles in the middle of the Woodhenge would help them know when the summer and winter solstices were happening.
The summer solstice is when the sun is shining the brightest and the longest in the day. The winter solstice is when the sun is the weakest and the shortest in the day. People who built the Woodhenge would use the shadows that the poles cast to know when those times were happening so they could plan their crops, ceremonies, and other events.
So, basically, the Cahokia Woodhenge was a special circle made of wooden poles to help Native Americans keep track of time by using the sun and the stars. It was like a big calendar that helped them know when it was summer, winter, and other important times of the year.
One of the things they built in Cahokia was something called a Woodhenge. A Woodhenge is like a big circle made out of wooden poles, kind of like a fence, but much taller. The poles were put in the ground in a certain way so that they formed a pattern, with some poles standing very tall in the middle and others shorter around the edges.
The Woodhenge was made especially to keep track of time. You see, these Native Americans didn't have clocks or watches like we do now, so they had to use the sun and the stars to tell time. The tall poles in the middle of the Woodhenge would help them know when the summer and winter solstices were happening.
The summer solstice is when the sun is shining the brightest and the longest in the day. The winter solstice is when the sun is the weakest and the shortest in the day. People who built the Woodhenge would use the shadows that the poles cast to know when those times were happening so they could plan their crops, ceremonies, and other events.
So, basically, the Cahokia Woodhenge was a special circle made of wooden poles to help Native Americans keep track of time by using the sun and the stars. It was like a big calendar that helped them know when it was summer, winter, and other important times of the year.