Some scientists think there may have been more than one migration of people to North America. We do not yet know if and how these migrations affected people living in Illinois. At present, we presume Archaic people were the descendants of Paleo-Indians.

What did these ancient Native Americans look like? How tall were they? How long did they live? The study of skeletal remains provides answers to these questions. Your bones and teeth change as you age. By examining bones, an osteologist, a scientist specializing in the study of the skeleton, can determine the age and sex of a person, their size, and if they suffered from certain diseases.

Osteologists have studied the skeletal remains of relatively few Archaic people. It appears that they were about five feet tall. They lived for only 25 or 30 years. And, when compared to other Native Americans, Archaic people had more bone fractures and arthritis—a disease that affects bone joints. The short life span and these disorders are common among people with difficult lives. However, the teeth of Archaic people had relatively few cavities. Their diet consisted of a healthy mixture of foods with relatively little sugar.