Places of the Past Illinois Archaeological Sites and Exhibits Illinois Association for Advancement of Archaeology Places of the Past is a guidebook to Illinois ILLINOIS ENDANGERED SITES archaeological sites and places throughout the Archaeological sites in Illinois have state where you can view archaeological exhibits. material remains such as ancient stone These range from the world-famous Cahokia site, tools, earthenware ceramic fragments, a Native American metropolis of 1,000 years ago and tool-making debitage. These are in southwestern Illinois, to 19th century industrial often found at the present-day land ruins. Some sites and museums, like Dickson surface where no other trace of struc- Mounds in western Illinois, are devoted entirely to tures or activities remain. Extending the archaeology of past cultures. Historical societies back as early as 12,000 years ago, these may have only one case of local American Indian sites contain the only direct record material, but all of the listings have in common of people who once lived within our that they are on property accessible to the public, state. Locations of early EuroAmeri- and have some tie-in to Illinois archaeology. can exploration and settlement also During your visit, you can learn about prehis- have artifacts reflecting activities of toric Native American cultures, beginning more that period. Modern farming practices than 12,000 years ago, up through the period of and construction are rapidly destroy- contact with European explorers and settlers in ing these sites, which sometimes also the 17th to 19th centuries. With more than 125 contain fragments of bone and charred listings in Places of the Past, there is likely a loca- plant remains that reflect early meth- tion near you. Be sure to check on current hours ods of subsistence. before your visit. State and federal legislation protects Look for programs annually in Septem- the thousands of archaeological sites ber for Illinois Archaeology Awareness on public property in Illinois. Any Month; see ilarchsurv.org. Some events are disturbance (including surface artifact held at the places listed here, and others are collecting) to sites on public property is sponsored by chapters of the Illinois Asso- prohibited. Visitors to sites on public ciation for Advancement of Archaeology. property can help protect them by From the Dunleith Mound Group in far north- reporting any activity, such as digging western Illinois, to the Kincaid mound and village site or collecting artifacts, to the facility su- in the Ohio River valley, archaeology is all around us in pervisor. Rock-art sites with petroglyphs Illinois, and now you know where to find it. and pictographs are especially fragile and should not be touched. Alice Berkson Human skeletal remains, grave Editor markers, and grave artifacts on Kelvin Sampson private property in Illinois have Design Editor legal protection from disturbance at all times. For more information see For an electronic ver- sion of Places of the the Illinois Historic Preservation Past scan this code Agency web page Archaeology in or go to www.mu- Preservation Services http://www. seum.state.il.us/iaaa/ illinois.gov/ihpa/Preserve/Pages/ placesofthepast.pdf Archaeology.aspx. 2 Places of the Past Illinois Association for Advancement of Archaeology Places of the Past Illinois Cultural Periods ... Years Ago laces of the Past is a special CONTENTS Ppublication by the Illinois Association for Advancement of Featured Sites 4 Archaeology (IAAA), which also publishes the quarterly Illinois Antiquity distributed to IAAA members. Items Northwest Illinois 6 published by IAAA reflect the views of the authors. Publication does not Northeast Illinois 10 imply IAAA endorsement. To obtain additional copies, contact the Editor at West Central Illinois 14 904 Mayfair Rd., Champaign, IL 61821, email [email protected]. Lower Illinois River 16 ISSN 8756-0070 Copyright 2014 Central Illinois 18 Cover images, top left to bottom right: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site & Interpretive Center, Collinsville; Gramercy Park Dunleith Mound American Bottom 21 Group, East Dubuque; New Philadelphia Town Site, Barry; Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis; Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, Petersburg; Wabash River 24 Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center, Collinsville; 19th century artifacts from a central Illinois site. Southern Illinois 26 museum.state.il.us/iaaa Places of the Past 3 Be sure to see these Featured Sites Albany cal resources of the lower Illinois valley. Exhibits Mounds State include information and artifacts detailing the Historic Site rich and complex array of prehistoric cultures The Albany site known to the area, ranging from the Paleoindian is the largest to Mississippian Middle Woodland time periods, and (Hopewell) mound also includes and village complex information about owned by the State. modern investiga- Dating between 200 BC and AD 300, it tive methods used originally contained 96 burial mounds. A in archeological portion of the burial mounds was pur- research. Highlights chased in 1970, with an additional part of include displays about Clovis point manufacture, the village Middle Woodland exchange networks, and site later prehistoric pottery manufacture. Archeologi- added to cal investigations at the renowned Koster site the State (Greene County, IL) are also richly illustrated Historic through photographs and artifacts. The Center Site. Mate- for American Archeology sponsors a free Arche- rial excavat- ology Day in mid-July with family activities, and ed from the has an array of field experiences and educational site shows programs available for the public. See page 17 for that the more information. residents participated Cahokia Mounds in the Hopewell trade network, with items State Historic Site & ranging from conch shells from the Gulf Interpretive Center Coast to obsidian from the Rocky Moun- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site preserves tains, making it a center for the Hopewell 2,200 acres of the largest prehistoric Indian culture. Visitors can view some of the 39 community north mounds walking along a mown path; the of Mexico. The site also features a 100-acre restored prai- original site rie. The Friends of the Albany Mounds covered nearly Foundation is dedicated to the preserva- 6 square miles, tion and interpretation of the site. See included 120 page 7 for more information. mounds and, at its peak around Center for American AD 1050-1150, had a population of 10-20,000 Archeology Museum people of the Mississippian culture. The focal Located on scenic Illinois State Highway 100, his- point of the site, Monks Mound, is an earthen toric Kamp General Store is now a museum fea- platform mound that covered more than 14 turing artifacts, exhibits, and media presentations acres and rose to a height of 100 feet above the highlighting the cultural history and archeologi- American Bottom floodplain. The site is one of 4 Places of the Past Illinois Association for Advancement of Archaeology Be sure to see these Featured Sites the few places in North America designated a material from Illinois archaeological sites. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. new permanent exhibit The Ancient Americas The world-class Interpretive Center fea- takes visitors on a journey through 13,000 tures exhibits, dioramas, numerous artifacts years of cultural evolution in the Western and graphics, a life-size village recreation and Hemisphere, where hundreds of diverse so- museum shop. Seasonal guided tours and cieties thrived self-guided tours are available as well as year- long before round events. A variety of ridgetop, conical and the arrival of platform mounds can be viewed from several Europeans. It tour trails, as well as a reconstructed portion of begins in the the two-mile long stockade that once enclosed work of Ice the city center. An area west of Monks Mound Age mammoth has a reconstruction of the Woodhenge sun hunters in calendar, used to determine the equinoxes and Chicago circa solstices. See page 22 for more information. 11,000 BC, and includes Dickson Mounds Museum a survey of the monumental earthworks of A branch of the Illinois State Museum and a mound-building peoples. Following extensive National Historic Site, Dickson Mounds is one presentations on the Aztec and Inca empires, of the major on-site archaeological museums the final gallery shows the diverse lives of in the country. contemporary native communities. See page The museum 11 for more information. offers a unique opportunity to Kincaid Mounds explore the world State Historic Site of the American At Kincaid Mounds are preserved the re- Indian in an awe- mains of earthen mounds that were once inspiring journey part of a city created by Native Americans through 12,000 during the Middle Mississippian period years of human experience in the Illinois River (AD 900-1500).This period was character- valley. Multimedia presentations detail the ized by the rise of agriculture, specializa- shift from reliance on wild resources to food tion of labor within communities, and production and village life, and the changes building of elaborate mound systems for brought about by the arrival of Europeans. burials and rituals. The Kincaid site likely Now a partner in the Nature Conservancy’s served as a trade link between native restoration of Emiquon Preserve, Dickson settlements in the Cumberland-Tennessee Mounds sponsors a variety of special exhibits river valleys and the metropolis at Ca- and programs throughout the year. See page 15 hokia. State holdings contain the remains for more information. of nine mounds and a large portion of the associated village site. Additional mounds Field Museum and the remaining portion of the village The outstanding natural history and ethno- are located on adjacent private property. graphic exhibits at the Field Museum include See page 27 for more information. museum.state.il.us/iaaa Places of the Past 5 Northwest Illinois (1) Gramercy Park Dunleith Mound Group East Dubuque, IL cityofeastdubuque.com/communityin- formation.html The park, situated on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River valley, includes 20 mounds still standing of an origi- nal group of 26 Middle Woodland conical mounds.