Illinois Valley Archaeological Society Lecture

Illinois Valley Archaeological Society Lecture

• Location: ISM Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown
• Date: Wednesday, May 06, 2015, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Dr. Thomas J. Loebel, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, will present a talk titled “The Secret Lives of Paleoindians: Ice Age Social and Ritual Systems in the Western Great Lakes” at the Wednesday, May 6, 2015, meeting of the Illinois Valley Archaeological Society. The presentation begins at 7:00 p.m. at Dickson Mounds Museum. This lecture is free and the public is invited to attend the lecture and the refreshments following.

North American early Paleoindians (circa 12,000 bp) are perhaps amongst the most highly stereotyped archaeological cultures. Widely viewed as nomadic hunters of elephants who did little else except produce a remarkable similar range of fluted point styles over a vast geographical area, they have essentially remained a static archaeological concept for the last 75 years. However, hidden within the Paleoindian archaeological record is subtle evidence of the social and ritual life of these late ice-age hunter-gatherers. By examining large-scale patterns of raw material use, Dr. Loebel has identified probable instances of trade, exchange, and the movement of individuals, groups, and artifacts during the Clovis period. These movements reflect both the economic and social adaptations of these groups as they dealt with adjusting to a rapidly changing environment at the end of the last Ice Age. These early exchange networks culminate in the Renier Ceremonial Complex, a Cody Complex related (circa 9,000 bp) set of related sites scattered across Wisconsin and Illinois that include the ritual destruction of large chipped stone spear points and tools.

The Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open free to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. Tours and special programs are available for groups with reservations. For more information call 309.547.3721 or TTY 217.782.9175 or visit the museum's web site at www.ExperienceDicksonMounds.com. Also check out weekly updates on Facebook at “Illinois State Museum – Dickson Mounds”.