Cahokia Mounds, Illinois
The biggest earthwork city north of Mexico, with Monks Mound at its center.
Terra Explorer Ancient wonders
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Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- Illinois, USA
- Position
- 38.6552, -90.0619
- Area
- 5 × 5 km
- Real elevation
- 122 to 157 m (35 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:33,300
- Heights
- 5× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, 1–10 m per point
- Suggested color
- Natural
- Group
- Ancient wonders
About Cahokia Mounds, Illinois
The Cahokia Mounds (also simply known as Cahokia ; Smithsonian trinomial ID 11 MS 2) is the site of a Native American city which existed c. 1050 – c. 1350 AD, directly across the Mississippi River from present-day St. Louis. The state archaeology park lies in south-western Illinois between East St. Louis and Collinsville. The park covers 2,200 acres (890 ha; 3.4 mi2; 8.9 km2), and contains about 80 manmade mounds, but the ancient city was much larger. At its apex around 1100 AD, the city covered about 6 square miles (16 km2), included about 120 earthworks in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and functions, and had a population of between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
From Wikipedia: Cahokia, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Cahokia Mounds, Illinois
Where is Cahokia Mounds?
Cahokia Mounds is in Illinois, USA at 38.6552, -90.0619. The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Cahokia Mounds model?
The land in this model runs from 122 to 157 m (35 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 5 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Cahokia Mounds?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 10.2 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:33,300. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Cahokia Mounds model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans at 1 to 10 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Cahokia Mounds model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Cahokia Mounds terrain model good for?
People use it as a desk piece for history lovers, a classroom model or a gift for someone who has been there.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Cahokia Mounds, Illinois from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. In the United States the heights come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans that resolve every 1 to 10 meters.
The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square centered on 38.6552, -90.0619. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:33,300. The heights are exaggerated 5× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
