Despite more than 100 years of archaeological research in Illinois, large parts of the state have received very little professional survey. Almost one third of townships in Illinois have less than 1% of their area surveyed! By and large, places with high populations, a lot of modern development, more road building, or proximity to universities have received more attention from archaeologists.

Various projectile points were found in fields across Western Illinois, including Shuyler and Cass counties. 

August’s Artifact of the Month: This bayonet was found during the excavation of a structure at Fort Johnson/Cantonment Davis in Warsaw, in the immediate vicinity of a limestone fireplace. It is a standard United States issue model 1808 bayonet, representing the first regulation of U.S. accouterments of the type that remained in service until 1828.

Earlier this year, ISAS received some photos the submitter believed were from a bison. The bones in all of these photos are actually from a horse. Steve Kuehn, an ISAS zooarchaeologist, notes two elements show distinct traits that separate horses from bison and cattle.

The WIFS Macomb Fieldstation is currently home to the ISAS flotation laboratory, where flotation samples from projects across the state are processed. Leftover sediments have been repurposed in the on-site staff vegetable garden, once again enriching the local soils for a new food crop.

Between 2009 and 2012, ISAS conducted excavations within multiple turn of the 20th century neighborhoods as part of the excavation in East St. Louis and the New Mississippi River Bridge project. One of the more common artifacts found were soda and mineral water bottles embossed with the names of East St. Louis soda water companies.

During a collaborative restoration project with the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), this shell tool, which archaeologists believe may have been used to make decorative designs on a ceramic vessel prior to final firing was recovered.

Much as the forces of water, wind, and time have shaped the bedrock of Illinois, John Walthall quietly and indelibly shaped the archaeology of the state and beyond.

Ongoing volunteer work with the Herb Mangold donation reveals important new information about Late Woodland ceramic technology in the Sny Bottom locality south of Quincy, Illinois.

Members of the Illinois College summer student scholarship cohort met with staff from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) at the Western Illinois Field Station in Jacksonville, Illinois. Staff members John Alexander Schone Scobbie, an archaeological specialist, Erin Hughes, research archaeologist, and James Pisell, staff archaeologist, shared an overview of the mission and services of the ISAS and led a behind-the-scenes site tour.

The Illinois State Archaeological Survey recently assisted with an archaeological survey for the new Arthur Johnson Foundation Center in East St. Louis, Illinois. The Foundation’s mission is to “give hope, vision and positive direction to our youth through the medium of athletics” and to rebuild inner-city communities by inspiring youth and assisting families experiencing crises.

A few months ago, a visitor found an interesting stone at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. They took pictures and alerted Forest Preserve District staff, who reached out to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey for their perspective. 

Brooklyn, Illinois, was established in the 1830s along the Mississippi River as a settlement for African Americans, both free individuals and those escaping slavery. The village played a significant role as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) recently collaborated with landowners in northwest Illinois to investigate a pre-contact village and associated mound using non-invasive geophysical survey. Originally recorded in 1961 as a Late Woodland site, a brief revisit to the McKeown site in 1974 showed that the site actually dates to the Upper Mississippian Langford Phase and contains not only a mound, but intact house pits and other features.

Found at the bottom of a deep pit dating to the Late Woodland period (circa 600-800 AD), this point displays surprising characteristics in both form and choice of material. The point is idiosyncratic, meaning it displays an unusual mix of aspects making it difficult to identify and compare with other known point types. 

ISAS volunteers Mike Smith and Madeline Evans were able to visit Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign this past December to assist the owners in identifying a collection of artifacts that came into their possession as they expanded their farm operation.

Recently the Illinois State Archaeological Survey excavated the site of a small, short-term farmstead in rural Morgan County dating to the 1830s and 1840s. Found in an abandoned well was a rare intact plowshare made of hand-forged iron by an unknown blacksmith.

While excavating a site including a historic house cellar in Randolph County, staff from the American Bottom Field Station found this 1834 half dime, along with animal bones, buttons, bottles, and ceramic tableware. Indications are the house was in use in the 1830s and 1840s. 

Our Northern Illinois Field Station (NIFS) recently had a friendly visit from a familiar face – George Johnson!  Johnson, who donated an important projectile points collection to ISAS many years ago, stopped by to donate more artifacts to his collection. Johnson's donated collection is a major hotspot on the projectile points database.

ISAS staff recently conducted four days of training and outreach activities to introduce several Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) resource management groups to the archaeological history of the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Ed Duling's lifelong passion for collecting Native American artifacts has found a lasting legacy at the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS). His collection, painstakingly gathered over decades, is more than a mere assortment of arrowheads; it’s a testament to the rich tapestry of our heritage. Inspired by his unwavering dedication, his family, Sheryl Ketner and Noelle Walton, made a heartfelt decision – to contact ISAS to preserve their father's legacy and share it with the world.

ISAS recently hosted two researchers from the University of Louisville who are studying Dalton projectile points (8500–7900 BC) from the Midcontinent as part of a pilot research grant project. 

When one thinks of excavations taking place in the blazing summer sun, most people don’t realize how much discovery occurs in the cool, dark collections spaces that curators like Tamira Brennan, section head of curation at the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) and her colleagues care for.

The Western Illinois Field Station team recently recovered an interesting rim section from a cord-impressed vessel while sampling a restricted bluff base midden or trash deposit during an IDOT-sponsored bridge replacement project in Tazewell County.

ISAS archaeologists used magnetometry to survey the Late Woodland Sitzman site at Lincoln’s New Salem, confirming the ancient mounds remain largely intact. Findings will help reroute trails and preserve this rare Native American heritage site.

Two archaeology enthusiasts in Clinton County have collected dozens of clay-fired objects, which archaeologists believe were used to cook food in southern Illinois approximately 2,000 years ago.

Large swaths of the state—areas where the soil is easily eroded, where farm field slopes are particularly steep, and where there are many cultural sites of historic significance—are poised to suffer significant impacts in the coming decades. And with every fraction of an inch that washes downstream, the farmer’s plow goes a little deeper each year.