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Ancient Indians in Illinois: Unearthed History

Discover the intriguing past of ancient Indians in Illinois from 12,000 years ago to the Mississippian Period. Explore the excavation sites such as Koster and Audrey-North revealing the culture and lifestyle of Paleo-Indians, Woodland, Hopewellian, and Mississippian periods. Learn about Cahokia Mounds, Monk's Mound, and the fascinating artifacts found in Illinois. Unravel the mysteries of the early settlers with rich historical insights.

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Ancient Indians in Illinois: Unearthed History

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  1. Ancient Indians in Illinois

  2. Little information is available about the ancient Indians in Illinois. Why?

  3. 1. Archeology is mainly focused around the Mediterranean Sea shoreline. • 2. Most archeologists are more interested in discovery than with disclosure.

  4. Some Basic Historical Information • What does B.C. stand for? • BEFORE CHRIST • What does A.D. stand for? • ANNO DOMINI – in the year of our Lord

  5. The Earliest People in Illinois • Signs of people in Illinois date back to around 12,000 years ago. • 10,000 B.C.

  6. Five Periods of the Ancient Indians • Paleo-Indian (10,000 B.C.) • Archaic (8,000 B.C.) • Woodland (500 B.C. / A.D. 400-1,000) • Hopewellian (200 B.C.) • Mississippian (A.D. 900-1,400)

  7. Reading # 2

  8. The First People Arrive • The first people to live in the Americas came here from Asia. • They crossed over on the frozen Bering Straits.

  9. They were the Paleo-Indians. • Very few archeological sites have been found from the Paleo-Indian in Illinois. • No campsites or villages have been excavated.

  10. Paleo-Indian Period • Small Nomadic Population. • Mainly hunters who followed the game. • Elk

  11. Paleo-Indian Period • Lived near rivers during the summer. • Fish & mussels. • During the Fall they would move to higher ground in the forests. • Gathered nuts.

  12. Mr Bean

  13. 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.

  14. Reading # 3 & 4

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. The Horizons at Koster • 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.

  20. 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.)

  21. Two Phases of the Woodland Period • The Early Woodland Phase • The Late Woodland Phase • Divided by the Hopewellian Period.

  22. The Woodland Period • 500 B.C. • The first signs of pottery appeared. • The first pottery was called Marion Thick.

  23. The Woodland Period • The people who were around during this time were called the Black Sands people. • These people mainly lived around the Mississippi & Illinois River plain.

  24. The Late Woodland Period • A.D. 400 to A.D. 1,000. • Smaller population & less trade with outside groups.

  25. The Hopewellian Period • Around 200 B.C. • Hopewell Indians buried artifacts with their dead leaders. • Hunters, gatherers, & fishermen. • Not much on growing crops.

  26. The Hopewell Indians • They utilized Effigy Mounds. • Made to look like animals. • Actually tombs for hundreds of people.

  27. The Hopewellian Period • They were advanced in their trading. • Goods from all over the U.S. were found among their artifacts.

  28. 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.

  29. Reading # 5

  30. Mississippian Period • Mound builders. • The Mississippian Culture ended before the Europeans arrived in Illinois. • Corn was extremely important to the Mississippian culture.

  31. Mississippian Period • Indians used corn back in 800 B.C. • It was not used as a crop until A.D. 800. • Settlements were the largest, most populous, and permanent prehistoric towns.

  32. Cahokia Mounds • Located just east of St. Louis. • There are 120 mounds located at the Cahokia site.

  33. Monk’s Mound • The largest of the mounds at Cahokia. • Measures 700 x 1,000 x 100 ft covering 15 acres. (Larger than14 ½ football fields) • Contains 4 levels.

  34. Patrick 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.

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. Borrow Pits • 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.

  38. Burial Mounds • There are possible signs of human sacrifice at the burial mounds. (Mainly women) • The leaders were buried with many valuable artifacts.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. 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.

  42. Basic Facts on Cahokia • 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.

  43. Basic Facts on Cahokia • 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.

  44. 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!

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