Ancient Indians in Illinois

Little information is available about the ancient Indians in Illinois Little information is available about the ancient Indians in Illinois. Why? 1. Archeology is mainly focused around the Mediterranean Sea shoreline. 2. Most archeologists are more interested in discovery than with disclosure.

Some Basic Historical Information Time is split into two eras B.C. Before Christ (Jesus) A.D. Anno Domini Latin for “in the year of our Lord” At the collegiate level you may hear BCE and CE Before the common era and common era

The Earliest People in Illinois Signs of people in Illinois date back to around 12,000 years ago. Roughly 10,000 B.C. Five periods of the Ancient Indians Paleo-Indian (10,000 B.C.) Archaic (8,000 B.C.) Early Woodland (500 B.C.) Hopewellian (200 B.C.) Late Woodland (A.D. 400-1,000) Mississippian (A.D. 900-1,400)

The First People Arrive The first people to live in the Americas came here from Asia. They crossed over on the frozen Bering Strait (Beringia) They were the Paleo-Indians. Very few archeological sites have been found from the Paleo-Indians in Illinois. No campsites or villages have been excavated.

Paleo-Indian Period Small Nomadic Population Nomadic – moved frequently Typically to follow food Lived near rivers during the summer. Fish Other animals settled around water too During the Fall they would move to higher ground in the forests. Gathered nuts, berries

Archaic Period 10,000 years ago. Lasted from 8,000 to 500 B.C. The Koster Site provides the best evidence of this period. People lived in communities for several generations. Hunted and farmed.

The Koster Site Located south of Kampsville, Illinois. Near the Illinois River in Calhoun County. One of the largest prehistoric villages ever found. Covers around 25 acres.

Carbon 14 Dating All living things contain carbon at a certain rate. After they die they start to lose carbon. The rate of loss is able to be measured. The measure is accurate up to around 50,000 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcuz1JiMk9k

The Dig at Koster A dig is the name of an archeological excavation. The different layers in the earth are called horizons. Koster is the richest archeological site in North America.

The Horizons at Koster There are 14 known horizons at Koster. Koster was occupied on & off, for around 7,000 years. A lack of fire wood is the theory as to why they left. Horizon number 2 dates back to 300 B.C. Horizon 12 is 34 feet below the ground. (6,100 B.C.+) Horizon 13 & 14 are below the water table.

Audrey-North Audrey-North is another archeological site that is near the Koster Site. It dates back to the Mississippian Period. (900-1400 A.D.) Two Phases of the Woodland Period The Early Woodland Phase The Late Woodland Phase Divided by the Hopewellian Period.

The Early Woodland Period 500 B.C. The first signs of pottery appeared. The first pottery was called Marion Thick. The people who were around during this time were called the Black Sands people. These people mainly lived around the Mississippi & Illinois River plain. The Late Woodland Period A.D. 400 to A.D. 1,000. Smaller population & less trade with outside groups.

The Hopewellian Period Around 200 B.C. Hopewell Indians buried artifacts with their dead leaders. Hunters, gatherers, & fishermen. Not much on growing crops. They were advanced in their trading. Goods from all over the U.S. were found among their artifacts.

The Hopewell Indians They were first discovered by a farmer in Ohio. M.C. Hopewell The Hopewell Indians originally developed in Illinois & spread into other areas. They utilized Effigy Mounds. Made to look like animals. Actually tombs for hundreds of people.

Mississippian Period Mound builders. The Mississippian Culture ended before the Europeans arrived in Illinois. Corn was extremely important to the Mississippian culture. Settlements were the largest, most populous, and permanent prehistoric towns.

Cahokia Mounds Located just east of St. Louis. There are 120 mounds located at the Cahokia site. Monk’s Mound The largest of the mounds at Cahokia. Measures 700 x 1,000 x 100 ft covering 15 acres. (Larger than 14 ½ football fields) Contains 4 levels.

Patrick Phase The Occupation Phase The earliest part of the Cahokia settlement started around A.D. 600 to A.D. 800. Pottery found but no evidence of mound building. The Occupation Phase Around A.D. 900 signs of mound building start to appear. There are also signs of fancy burials during this time period.

Dirt would be dug up using various tools, and placed in baskets. Borrow Pits Dirt would be dug up using various tools, and placed in baskets. The baskets full of dirt would then be taken to build up the mounds. There are nine known borrow pits around Cahokia. The largest is 17 acres & 6 feet deep. The pits also served as trash dumps and ponds. Burial Mounds There are possible signs of human sacrifice at the burial mounds. (Mainly women) The leaders were buried with many valuable artifacts.

Fairmount Phase The first Woodhenge was built during the Fairmount Phase. The purpose of the Woodhenge was to mark the various seasons. The Woodhenge was built a total of five times.

The Moorehead Phase Moorehead was the last phase in which the Woodhenge was rebuilt. Cahokia reached its peak during the Moorehead Phase. Homes were made out of poles & thatch.

Basic Facts on Cahokia Named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1982. 65 of the 120 mounds are within the boundaries of the historical site. Many of the mounds were destroyed by landowners. 50 million cubic feet of earth was moved to create the various mounds. 22 million cubic feet of earth was moved to create Monks Mound. The construction of Monks Mound took around 300 years to complete. The stockade around Monks Mound was two miles long. Guard towers were placed every 80 feet. Mound 72 was filled with around 300 bodies that were ceremonially killed.

No-Name Phase The final phase at Cahokia is called the No-Name Phase. A.D. 1500 to 1700 This was around the time when the Europeans were reaching Illinois. Why did they fade away? No one really knows