This week's archaeology Fieldwork in Focus is from Tamira Brennan, site director for Southern Illinois University Carbondale's excavations at the Mississippian Kincaid Mounds.
This year, the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) archaeological field school will continue excavations at Kincaid Mounds, a Mississippian period (AD 1000-1450) mound center located along the lower Ohio River in southernmost Illinois. Kincaid Mounds was once a bustling center, home to hundreds of Native American inhabitants who participated in a rich ceremonial complex spanning the southeastern US. The pottery, chipped stone, and organic debris that we uncover today reveals fascinating details about the everyday life of the people who built and lived in this city. The residents of Kincaid grew corn, sunflower and squash, lived in log-pole houses with thatched roofs, and took advantage of the resources provided by the waterways and nearby forested areas. Although they produced most of life's necessities on site, evidence suggests trade with other Mississippian towns as far away as the Lower Mississippi River Valley and as large as Cahokia Mounds.
2009 excavations at the Kincaid site. Photo courtesy Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
A decade's worth of excavations took place at Kincaid Mounds in the 1930-40s as part of the University of Chicago's field program - an undertaking that truly helped shape North American archaeology as we know it today. These excavations focused primarily on the site's earthen mounds, which housed the chief's home, impressive religious temples, and many intriguing burials. Recent years' SIUC research has investigated the site's large defensive walls and previously unknown mounds. This summer's work will build on this research by focusing on one neglected aspect of the site - community life and the domestic sphere, all while contributing to understanding the timing of the site and its eventual demise as part of a mysterious abandonment of the region circa AD 1450. We can expect to unearth pottery, stone artifacts, personal adornments, charred food remains, and in-the-ground evidence of how houses were constructed, and for what purposes they were used.
Students enrolled in this field school will gain hands-on experience in field and laboratory methods while unearthing artifacts that no hands have touched in over 700 years! Students will also have the opportunity to visit contemporaneous archaeological sites on organized field trips, learn about the prehistory of the Eastern Woodlands, and enjoy the experience of community-living for the duration of this project - all while earning university credit. Organized in two four-week sessions, students may earn 3-6 upper level credits for the cost of In-State tuition and a small fee to cover housing, equipment, transportation and the dinner meal. Register for one session to get a taste of archaeology, or for the full eight weeks to get an experience that will ensure you are ready to jump into the archaeology job market!
Students screening at the Kincaid site. Photo courtesy Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
We will be living in a gym with kitchen and bathroom facilities in the friendly town of Brookport, IL, just 12 miles from the Kincaid site. Students will share cooking and cleaning responsibilities at our field quarters. A field vehicle will transport you to and from the site every day. Groceries, laundry, and entertainment are all located within walking distance of the field quarters. Our workweek consists of ~40 hours of fieldwork and several hours of lab work M-F. Your weekends are free to explore the area or relax!
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