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Illinois State Archaeological Survey

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  • People of PRI: Amanda Quealy

    Nov 5, 2024 3:00 pm0 views

  • People of PRI: Seth Allgeier, curation specialist

    Sep 10, 2024 1:45 pm0 views
  • crop of MCJA journal cover.

    New issue of MJCA, guest edited by ISAS' Dr. Clare Tolmie, explores the archaeological record of the Chicago region

    Aug 2, 2024 8:45 pm47 views

    Past and present ISAS staff have authored papers in the recently issued Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology (MCJA) on the pre-contact and contact era archaeological record of the Chicago region, guest edited by Dr. Clare Tolmie (ISAS Northern Illinois Field Station Coordinator). 

    This volume, the first of two special issues, serves as a reminder that, despite urban growth and development, the archaeological record of Chicago survives in many parts of the metropolitan area, from the end of the Ice Age to the end of the pre-contact period when Indigenous communities were first in direct contact with Europeans.

  • Mera Hertel, 2024 Distinguished Support Staff Award recipient

    Jun 7, 2024 8:15 am0 views

    Recognized for her exceptional contributions, Mera Hertel, a cornerstone of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS), has been honored with the prestigious Prairie Research Institute’s 2024 Distinguished Support Staff Award.

  • Illinois' first submerged cultural resource: the Solon Johnson wreck of 1887

    Apr 26, 2024 1:45 pm0 views

  • Heavenly history and the moon

    Mar 19, 2024 9:30 am1 views

  • ISAS to lead “Field to Lab” summer program

    Feb 28, 2024 9:15 am0 views
  • Burnt corn excavated from East St. Louis field site.

    ISAS awarded grant for "Homelands and Harvests" project

    Feb 22, 2024 2:15 pm0 views
  • ISAS Collaborative Research Speaker Series

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

    Feb 14, 2024 1:00 pm2 views
  • ISAS Collaborative Research Speaker Series

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

    Feb 14, 2024 1:00 pm3 views
  • ISAS Collaborative Research Speaker Series

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

    Feb 14, 2024 1:00 pm2 views

  • Remembering Andrew Fortier

    Feb 2, 2024 3:15 pm29 views

    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.

  • James "Jimmy" Burns

    Remembering James “Jimmy” Burns

    Nov 10, 2023 3:45 pm3 views

    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. 

  • The minute artifacts of the heavy fraction, which sink to the bottom of the fine-mesh basket

    Flotation for the Future

    Aug 25, 2023 1:30 pm527 views

    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

    Mar 10, 2023 11:15 am4 views

    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. 

  • In 2021, ISAS tested a non-invasive technique called electromagnetic induction (EMI) on Mound 37 at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, Illinois. Using EMI, ISAS was able to detect the architecture of Mound 37 and confirm that the mound was circular in shape. Monks Mound, the largest Indigenous earthwork in the Americas rises prominently in the background. Images

    ISAS awarded $100,000 grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities

    Dec 13, 2022 1:00 pm19 views
  • Archaeologist Marie Meizis of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey uses a magnetic gradiometer. Photo credit: Matt Dayhoff, Peoria Journal Star

    Seeing an Indigenous settlement

    Dec 12, 2022 8:00 am3 views
  • The Peoria Business Committee stands in front of Monks Mound, Left to Right: Treasurer Hank Downum, Chief Craig Harper, Second Councilman Kara North, Third Councilman Isabella Clifford, Second Chief Rosanna Dobbs, and Secretary Tonya Mathews

    ISAS hosts Peoria Tribe visit to Cahokia Mounds

    Jul 22, 2022 8:00 am2 views
  • Caitlin Rankin wetland sampling

    North ‘plaza’ in Cahokia was likely inundated year-round, study finds

    Jul 21, 2022 8:15 am2 views

    The ancient North American city of Cahokia had as its focal point a feature now known as Monks Mound, a giant earthwork surrounded on its north, south, east and west by large rectangular open areas. These flat zones, called plazas by archaeologists since the early 1960s, were thought to serve as communal areas that served the many mounds and structures of the city.

    New paleoenvironmental analyses of the north plaza suggest it was almost always underwater, calling into question earlier interpretations of the north plaza’s role in Cahokian society. The study is reported in the journal World Archaeology.

  • Mound A at Angel Mounds in southwest Indiana

    Alignment, artifacts connect Indiana's Angel Mounds to Ohio's Hopewell culture

    Jul 11, 2022 3:45 pm21 views

  • Watch the May 9th lecture from Dr. John Low, The Ohio State University

    May 23, 2022 1:30 pm1 views

  • Watch the April 11th lecture from Betty Gaedtke, Quapaw Nation

    May 3, 2022 12:30 pm1 views
  • Benjamin Barnes

    Watch the March 14 lecture from Chief Benjamin Barnes, Shawnee Tribe

    Apr 6, 2022 2:15 pm17 views

    The Intersections of Indigenous Knowledge and Archaeology Speaker Series aims to center Indigenous voices, increase awareness of the deep Native histories of the Eastern Woodlands, and amplify the experiences, research, and knowledge of Indigenous leaders, scholars, and artisans.

    Watch the March 14 lecure by Chief Benjamin Barnes, Shawnee Tribe. 

  • Now hiring! Archaeological Field Technicians

    Mar 8, 2022 7:45 am1 views

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey seeks Archaeological Field Technicians to fill hourly field crew positions for large-scale Phase I, II, and III projects conducted out of our Central Illinois Field Station in Champaign. These are temporary (with potential of long term), full-time (40 hour/week), non-benefits-eligible, field/laboratory positions that may also involve some additional fieldwork, data processing, and specialized-analysis opportunities. Technicians will need to relocate to the Champaign area.  In-house training in ISAS methods is provided, and lodging and per diem are paid on out-of-town projects.

  • ISAS continues lecture series featuring Native leaders, scholars, and artisans

    Feb 24, 2022 3:00 pm67 views

    This spring the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues the Intersections of Indigenous Knowledge and Archaeology Speaker Series, which aims to center Indigenous voices, increase awareness of the deep Native histories of the Eastern Woodlands, and amplify the experiences,research, and knowledge of Indigenous leaders, scholars, and artisans.

  • Tim Pauketat at lectern

    The moon's tears fell on Cahokia

    Nov 23, 2021 12:30 pm4 views

    In November, Illinois State Archaeologist Tim Pauketat delivered a lecture sponsored by The Archaeological Conservancy. In his talk, he described insights gained about Cahokia and future plans for outreach and research activities conducted in collaboration with Tribes. 

  • Elizabeth Watts Malouchos (left) and Alleen Betzenhauser (right) map a Mississippian structure at the Pfeffer site in the region outlying Cahokia in 2008.

    ISAS experts co-edit Reconsidering Mississippian Communities and Households

    Jun 30, 2021 8:00 am6 views
  • microphone

    Virtual speaker series features Native scholars and leaders

    Feb 23, 2021 3:15 pm12 views

    This spring the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will hold a 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. 

  • Prescribed burn, March 6, 2020, on lands managed by the Champaign County Forest Preserve

    Exploring historic fire ecosystems

    Feb 22, 2021 12:15 pm553 views
  • archaeologists digging an excavation

    Possible Futures for the Recent Past

    Nov 11, 2020 10:15 am456 views

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey proudly announces the release of our latest publication, Possible Futures for the Recent Past: A Chronological and Resource-Based Framework for Historic Research Design in Illinois.

  • Illinois Archaeological Predictive Model screenshot

    Archaeological predictive model helps Illinoisans balance growth with preservation

    May 22, 2020 10:00 am6 views

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey offers a GIS-based tool that draws on more than a century of data to predict the probability of encountering an archaeological site in any 2-acre section of Illinois. Land owners, developers, preservationists, and other Illinoisans can use this tool to proactively assess and protect archaeological resources while enabling sustainable development. 

  • corn stalk

    Cahokia's rise parallels onset of corn agriculture

    May 14, 2020 8:45 am3 views

    Corn cultivation spread from Mesoamerica to what is now the American Southwest by about 4000 B.C., but how and when the crop made it to other parts of North America is still a subject of debate. In a new study, scientists report that corn was not grown in the ancient metropolis of Cahokia until sometime between A.D. 900 and 1000, a relatively late date that corresponds to the start of the city’s rapid expansion.

  • Mike Farkas, Michael Aiuvalasit and Tim Pauketat walking amid bare trees

    Rediscovering a path to the Milky Way

    May 6, 2020 8:30 am7 views

    ISAS archaeologists investigate "borrow pits," where the people of Cahokia extracted much of the soil used to build their famous mounds. The scientists are beginning to think these ponds held more meaning for the original city builders than archaeologists once assumed. They also hope to study another overlooked feature of the city of Cahokia: a causeway that cuts through the site.

  • Tamira Brennan

    Tamira Brennan returns to ISAS as curator

    May 1, 2020 2:30 pm24 views

    Dr. Tamira Brennan, who previously worked at the American Bottom Field Station as a coordinator, researcher, and ceramic analyst, is returning to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey as the section head of curation. ISAS houses one of the most extensive archaeological research collections in the state of Illinois, which is used by researchers from around the world to gain insights into our history. 

  • Paula Bryant and Paula Porubcan

    Paula Porubcan and Paula Bryant win 2020 Outstanding Collaboration Award

    Apr 22, 2020 4:15 pm8 views

    The Prairie Research Institute recently honored the two Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) staffers for their contributions to a long-running collaboration with the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC). 

  • As we all seek to limit spread of COVID-19, Toward the Middle Range conference will be postponed to 2021.

    POSTPONED TO 2021 – Toward the Middle Range conference

    Mar 12, 2020 1:30 pm857 views

    As we all seek to limit spread of COVID-19, this event will be postponed to 2021.  

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey will host a visiting scholar conference May 30–31, 2020. Toward the Middle Range will focus on the intersection of theory, method, and case study through the lens of the New Materialisms. Up to 15 participants—local, national, and international—will be selected for this two-day conference, which will feature both public and private sessions. Papers will be compiled into an edited volume.

  • Upper Mississippian jar rims from the Schryver collection.

    The Richard and Marilyn Schryver Collection

    Feb 18, 2020 11:00 am1149 views

    The Richard and Marilyn Schryver Collection was donated to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey in the Fall of 2019 by their children.

  • Mary King, Mary Simon, and Kimberly Schaefer examining a possible wooden mortar (large basin for grinding corn).

    Deciphering the culture found in prehistoric plants

    Feb 5, 2020 11:15 am456 views
  • Illinois State Archaeological Survey postdoctoral researcher Rebecca Barzilai maps and collects soil samples from the floor of a religious shrine in Greater Cahokia, an ancient Native American settlement on the Mississippi River in and around present-day St. Louis.

    Reading history in the soil

    Jan 28, 2020 3:30 pm3 views

    Illinois State Archaeological Survey postdoctoral researcher Rebecca Barzilai maps and collects soil samples from the floor of a religious shrine in Greater Cahokia, an ancient Native American settlement on the Mississippi River in and around present-day St. Louis.

  • Tim Pauketat speaks to a crowd of U of I alumni

    State Archaeologist leads Cahokia tour for Illinois alumni

    Sep 18, 2019 4:15 pm316 views

    Illinois State Archaeologist Tim Pauketat led a tour of Cahokia Mounds on Sept. 19 for a group of University of Illinois alumni. This special event was organized by the Illinois Alumni Association and the Prairie Research Institute. 

  • Meet Michael Aiuvalasit, environmental archaeologist

    Aug 29, 2019 7:15 am9 views

    Michael Aiuvalasit joins ISAS as an environmental archaeologist, leveraging his expertise using archaeological and paleoclimate data to tell a story about how people solved resource management problems in the past.

  • Archaeological predictive modeling app offers clues for future development

    Aug 15, 2019 2:30 pm1927 views

    The Illinois Archaeological Predictive Models (IAPM) offers a publicly available resource to predict where archaeological sites may be found.

  • aerial photo of Heyworth site

    Extracting history from a cornfield

    Jul 17, 2019 8:30 am9 views

    Illinois News Bureau writer Diana Yates recently participated in an archaeological investigation of an 800-year-old village in central Illinois.

  • cover East St. Louis Precinct Mississippian Ceramics

    Now available: East St. Louis Precinct Mississippian Ceramics

    Jun 4, 2019 10:45 am577 views

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey proudly announces the release of our latest publication, East St. Louis Precinct Mississippian Ceramics edited by Tamira K. Brennan, Michael Brent Lansdell, and Alleen Betzenhauser with contributions by Alleen Betzenhauser, Tamira K. Brennan, Sarah E. Harken, Michael Brent Lansdell, and Victoria E. Potter.

  • ISAS staff at an East St. Louis excavation site

    Now available: East St. Louis Precinct Terminal Late Woodland Features

    May 6, 2019 10:30 am188 views

    The investigations at East St. Louis conducted by Illinois State Archaeological Survey for the New Mississippi River Bridge project provided an unprecedented amount of information concerning Terminal Late Woodland habitation in the American Bottom. East St. Louis Precinct Terminal Late Woodland Features, edited by Alleen Betzenhauser, describes insights gained from this project.

  • Scattergood receives Outstanding New Support Staff Award

    Apr 11, 2019 8:00 am21 views

    ISAS archaeological projects coordinator Sarah Scattergood received the Outstanding New Support Staff Award at the 2019 Prairie Research Institute Celebration of Excellence. 

  • Get to know Illinois State Archaeologist Tim Pauketat

    Apr 4, 2019 10:30 am0 views
  • two book covers

    ISAS reprints two popular volumes

    Mar 21, 2019 2:45 pm246 views

    The Illinois State Archaeological Survey has reprinted two popular out-of-print publications and both are available for purchase on Amazon.

  • Preserving the Past in 3D

    Mar 7, 2019 9:30 am0 views

    John Lambert and Alleen Betzenhauser describe how they used a 3D scanner to capture digital images of petroglyphs that were pecked and ground into limestone boulders during the Mississippian Period

  • Pauketat to lead Illinois State Archaeological Survey

    Feb 18, 2019 9:15 am24 views

    Timothy R. Pauketat, a University of Illinois professor of Anthropology, is the new director of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey.