Anthropology Exhibits and Events

ISM System Exhibits: Anthropology

Anthropology Exhibit

These case exhibits focus on archaeological and ethnographic topics and artifacts such as Native American pottery, basketry, weavings, weapons, and tools. Find out more ...

Eveland Village

The Museum Grounds - 230 acres that include a scenic picnic area and playground, and the Eveland Village, where the excavated remains of three early Indian buildings are preserved for viewing. Find out more ...

From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln's Illinois 1830-1861 -- January 01, 2011 to September 30, 2012

To commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth the Illinois State Museum presents a captivating perspective of the Illinois Lincoln called home through objects and stories of the people who lived here. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the ISM Dickson Mounds Museum from January 01, 2011 to September 30, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

People of the Valley

People of the Valley portrays a sequence of cultures -- from Ice-Age hunters to the tribal groups that left Illinois in the 19th century -- through artifacts, murals, photographs, and exciting hands-on exhibits. Find out more ...

Peoples of the Past

Life-sized dioramas and finely crafted artifacts bring to life Illinois' rich Native American heritage. Find out more ...

Reflections on Three Worlds

Reflections on Three Worlds reveals the world of Mississippian people whose 800-year-old sites surround the museum today. The exhibits depict the complex life and culture of these people, trace in detail the evidence of archaeology, and lead to a spectacular multimedia event that takes one through a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, symbols, music and voices of the three worlds of Mississippian belief.rn Find out more ...

The Gift of Spider Woman: Weaving of the Americas -- August 20, 2011 to September 30, 2012

Most of the world’s cultures create objects through the weaving together of fibers, and most have weaving traditions that go back thousands of years. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the ISM Dickson Mounds Museum from August 20, 2011 to September 30, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

The Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw Find out more ...

The River Valley Gallery

The River Valley Gallery explores the character of the Illinois River and traces the interaction between the river and the people who lived along it from the end of the Ice Age to the present day. Find out more ...

ISM System Events: Anthropology

Paul Mickey Science Series: Two Centuries On: Historical Archaeology and the War of 1812

ISM Research & Collections Center
Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Presented by: Mark C. Branstner, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Lasting only from 1812 until 1815, America’s “second war of independence” had a profound effect on the young nation. Find out more ...

Be an Archaeologist for a Day

ISM Dickson Mounds Museum
Saturday, September 15, 2012, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Learn what it is like to be an archaeologist—how to excavate, identify artifacts, and process your findings. Find out more ...

Native American Game Day

ISM Dickson Mounds Museum
Sunday, October 21, 2012, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Spend an afternoon enjoying a variety of intellectually stimulating and physically challenging Native American games. Find out more ...