The inhabitants of the Native American city known as Cahokia, located near present-day St. Louis, were renowned for building burial mounds. Cahokia was the largest and most influential urban settlement of the Mississippian culture, existing approximately from 1050 to 1350 CE, and is famous for its complex system of earthen mounds used for burial and ceremonial purposes
. Cahokia Mounds, situated just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, included about 120 earthen mounds at its peak and was home to nearly 20,000 people. The mounds served as platforms for temples, residences of leaders, and burial sites, reflecting a highly organized society
. The city of St. Louis itself was once known as "Mound City" due to the presence of around 40 Native American mounds constructed by the same culture that built Cahokia. Most of these mounds were destroyed over time, with Sugarloaf Mound being the only remaining mound within present-day St. Louis
. In summary, the Native American city near present-day St. Louis known for building burial mounds was Cahokia, a major center of the Mississippian culture
