A program examining Mississippian culture in the Wabash Valley will be held in Lawrenceville, Illinois this week.

The event, titled “From Cahokia to the Wabash Valley: Exploring Mississippian Culture at Otter Pond,” will feature Dr. Jacob Skousen of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey.

The presentation will focus on the Otter Pond site, located northeast of Lawrenceville, which dates to roughly 1100 to 1500 A-D and is associated with the Mississippian culture.

Organizers say the program will also highlight research conducted at the site, including a geophysical survey completed in recent years.

Stanley Stevens of the Central Wabash Archaeology Chapter said the survey helped demonstrate the scale of the site.

“And when we saw the software, it really, really hit home that we were—we were onto a major rival of Cahokia. Not in size—they’ve been very much reduced; they’re several hundred acres, we’re 60 to 100—but the geological survey showed that we had everything they had.”

Stevens said the site reflects a period when Mississippian culture was widespread in the region.

The event is being organized by the Central Wabash Archaeology Chapter and the Lawrence County Historical Society.

The program will take place at Pleasant Ridge Christian Church in Lawrenceville.