by Gregory Vogel

(Back to main page)

2007 January 10
The Future of the Past in Western Illinois

            Western Illinois contains one of the richest and best-preserved archeological records of anywhere in North America, or even the world.  Does that sound like an exaggeration?  It's actually not.  The Lower Illinois River valley has an abundance of well-preserved archeological sites, some of them occupied by people over 10,000 years ago.   Scientists and students have come from all over the nation, and even from around the world, to study the archeology here.  In fact, many advances in how archeological research is conducted have been made in Calhoun County.

            Through this column I'll explore some of the more interesting sites and finds from this area, and explain how archeology can help us understand history, culture, and the natural environment.  I'll begin with some of the reasons this region holds such a rich and diverse record, and why it is so exciting to archeologists or anyone interested in the past.

            The first reason is the intersection of three of our largest rivers (the Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri), in the middle of the fertile uplands of the Midwest.  Just as they do today, in prehistoric times the rivers provided fish, ducks, hardwood forests, organic-rich soils for farming, and many other natural resources.  The rivers have also served as long-distance transportation corridors for as long as people have lived here: from rafts and canoes to packet boats, paddle-wheelers and modern barges.

            Immediately above these river valleys are vast expanses of fertile uplands with diverse forest and prairie resources of their own.  The grassland prairies of early North America extended east across the Mississippi River into Illinois and beyond.  This eastward extension of the prairie may have been due to fires set by people as early as 6,000 years ago, and there is some evidence to suggest that the people knew what they were doing. 

            The combination of river valleys and uplands proved to be an irresistible draw for even the earliest settlers of North America.  People have lived around here for more than 10,000 years (and possibly much longer – more on this in a later column), and anywhere they made campfires, built houses, or left any trace of their passing is an archeological site for us to study today.

            Many environmental factors contribute to the wonderful preservation of sites in Western Illinois – another reason for archeological interest here.  The unique geology of the river valleys is one of these factors.  Earthworms are another.  Earthworms?  Yes, they can actually help to protect ancient sites – more on this in a later column too. 

            Sites in the Lower Illinois River valley are some of the best preserved of all.  Not only have many of them been protected by natural factors, but they have been spared the large-scale development that has destroyed sites in many urban and suburban areas throughout the United States (although plowing and the construction of levees have both taken their toll on some). 

            How many archeological sites are preserved around here?  As of this writing 4,213 sites are officially recorded in Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Scott, and Pike Counties.  This, however, is almost certainly just a fraction of the total number. 

            The sites are not all ancient, either.  Keep in mind that archeologists are not just interested in prehistoric ways of life.  More recent sites and artifacts recall what it was like to live here 100 or 200 years ago.  We still have a lot to learn from old farm implements, stone houses, early potteries, and even the carvings on historic gravestones.  Active historical societies in the surrounding counties prove there is a great interest in the recent past of this area.

            In the coming months I'll address many different topics on local archeology, both ancient and historic.  If you have specific questions, or would like to see a certain topic addressed in detail, feel free to drop me a line. 

Dr. Gregory Vogel is Director of Research at the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, Illinois.  He may be contacted at: gvogel@caa-archeology.org, or P.O. Box 366, Kampsville, IL, 62053.