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News from ISAS

The Illinois State Archaeological Survey protects, preserves, and interprets irreplaceable and non-renewable cultural resources within the context of Illinois’ need to encourage and promote sustainable development. ISAS is a division of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI).

blog posts

  • Heavenly history and the moon

  • ISAS to lead “Field to Lab” summer program

  • ISAS awarded grant for "Homelands and Harvests" project

  • Dr. Joseph Galloy (IL Dept. of Transportation), Robert White III (Historical Society of Brooklyn, IL), and Miranda Yancey (Illinois State Museum)

  • Marvin Defoe (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) and Dr. Heather Walder (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse)

  • Dr. Brooke Morgan (Illinois State Museum) and Logan Pappenfort (Dickson Mounds Museum)

  • Remembering Andrew Fortier

    Dr. Andrew C. Fortier, a stalwart figure in the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) and the broader Midwest archaeological community, departed on November 6, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of profound contributions and fond memories.

  • Remembering James “Jimmy” Burns

    It is with profound sadness that we share the news that James “Jimmy” Burns passed away on November 7, 2023. Jimmy was a consummate field archaeologist who worked extensively across the Midwest, Far West, and Southeast over a 40-year career in both cultural resource management and academic settings. Above all, Jimmy was the best friend a person could be and he will be missed forever across ISAS, PRI, and beyond. 

  • Flotation for the Future

    A massive archaeological site in St. Clair County, Illinois, was excavated by ISAS for the Illinois Department of Transportation between 1998 and 2007 to make way for a new bridge over the Mississippi River. ISAS archaeologists excavated some 7,000 discrete “features,” locations of trash-filled storage pits and houses, among other things, near the banks of the Mississippi River.

  • Third annual Intersections of Indigenous Knowledge and Archaeology Speaker Series

    This spring the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will hold its third annual virtual speaker series featuring Native scholars and leaders. The Intersections of Indigenous Knowledge and Archaeology series is intended to center Indigenous voices, increase awareness of the deep Native histories of the Eastern Woodlands, and amplify the experiences and research of Indigenous scholars and leaders.