Public Events --
Brownbag Lectures: Illinois Mussels: The Silent Storytellers (Revisted)
- Location: ISM Research & Collections Center, Springfield
- Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Presented by Robert Warren, Ph.D., Curator of Anthropology, Illinois State Museum
Historically, the streams and lakes of Illinois housed a rich fauna of freshwater mussels. Biologists have documented 79 species in the state, and mussel populations were formerly quite large. Today, however, mussels are on the decline because of recent human alterations of the natural environment. Mussel collections from archaeological sites provide important baseline information on the diversity and composition of past mussel communities. Striking contrasts exist between ancient and modern mussel collections in the Illinois River basin, and these changes tell an interesting story about how and why mussel communities have changed. The lecture also looks at past and present human uses of mussels as sources of food and pearls and raw material for tools, ornaments, shell buttons, and cultured pearls.
One of our Brownbag Lectures
Weekly lectures held at the Museum's Research and Collections Center. Lectures are usually held during lunchtime on Wednesday. The RCC is located at 1011 E. Ash Street in Springfield. Access to the building is from 10 ½ Street (between Ash and Laurel Streets), where there is ample visitor parking in the west parking lot. For more information, please call 217-785-0037. Brown Bag Lectures are free and open to the public. Also, if you want to be informed of upcoming lectures by email, you can sign up for the brownbag announcement list.
For more events at ISM Research & Collections Center.
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