The Snyders Mounds and Five Other Mound Groups in Calhoun County, Illinois 9780932206909, 9781951538347

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MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

TECHNICAL REPORTS Number 13

RESEARCH REPORTS IN ARCHAEOLOGY Contribution 8

THE SNYDERS MOUNDS AND FIVE OTHER MOUND GROUPS IN CALHOUN COUNTY, ILLINOIS

by David P. Braun James B. Griffin Paul F. Titterington

ANN ARBOR 1982

@

1982 Regents of the University of Michigan All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-932206-90-9 (paper) ISBN 978-1-951538-34-7 (ebook)

TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES .

v

.

xi

.

xiii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1.

INTRODUCTION

1

2.

THE SNYDERS MOUND GROUP

5

Mounds C0 101, 102, 105, 106, 107, 112, 113

8

Mound C0 103

9

Mound C0 104 .

10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mound C0 108 and 109

13

Mound C0 110

14

Mound C0 111 Mound C0 114

15 16

Mound C0 115 . .

25

Mound C0 116 .

26

Miscellaneous

27

3.

MOUNDS 1 MILE NORTH OF THE SNYDERS SITE

29

4.

HAGEN MOUND GROUP

31

5.

MOUND WEST OF THE KAMP SITE

41

6.

BELL FARM - WILSON CEMETERY MOUND GROUP

43

Location I

.. .

...

. . .

.. .

. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . III . . . . . . . ... IV . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

Location II

46

Location

46

Location

iii

48

Location V

49

7.

BARRY MOUND GROUP

53

8.

DISCUSSION .

57

The Pre-Havana Burials

57

Middle Woodland Vessels in C0 114

59

The Copper Earspools in the Snyders Burial Mounds

64

The Distribution of Knife River Chalcedony in the Middle West .

65

Knife River Chalcedony in Illinois and Eastern Iowa

65

Knife River Specimens in Wisconsin

68

Knife River Chalcedony in Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba

81

Knife River in Ohio and Indiana

81

Knife River in the Dakotas

84

Middle Woodland summary .

Knife

River

Chalcedony:

A 86

Additional Middle Woodland Observations .

89

Late Woodland and Mississippian Vessels .

94

APPENDIX 1

97

.

101

REFERENCES CITED .

iv

LIST OF FIGURES 1.

Location of Titterington's related sites.

excavations

and 2

2.

Snyders Mounds and village site.

117

3.

Map of Snyders Mounds and village area.

117

4.

Snyders mounds C0 101 and C0 102.

118

5.

Snyders mounds C0 104 - C0 109.

118

6.

Composite view of Snyders mounds C0 101 - C0 115.

119

7.

Human mandible sections with C0 103-l.

120

8.

Plan view of C0 104 central feature.

120

9.

Copper earspools C0 104-8, 9, found with burial C0 104-2.

121

Close-up of C0 104-8 earspool showing twine in situ.

121

11.

Miscellaneous artifacts with C0 104-2.

122

12.

Obovaria beads with C0 104-2.

123

13.

Miscellaneous artifacts from C0 104 mound fill.

123

14.

Sherds from C0 104 mound fill.

124

15.

Ovate preform from C0 108.

124

16.

Part of Kritesville cache of ovate preforms.

125

17.

Part of Kritesville cache of ovate preforms.

125

18.

Broken and unfinished Kritesville cache.

10.

specimens

from

c 0 110-1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

the 126

19.

Compound burial of

20.

Burial C0 110-6 with limestone slabs removed.

127

21.

Fragment of large knife, C0 114-8.

128

v

127

22.

Drilled bear teeth, C0 114-7.

128

23.

C0 114-9 Havana Zoned Dentate Stamped vessel in situ.

129

24.

C0 114-9 vessel, repaired.

129

25.

Roll-out views of decoration, C0 114-9 (top) and C 0 114-l (bottom) Havana Zoned Dentate Stamped vessels.

130

Plan view of C 0 114 central feature, Titterington's sketch map, notes, photographs.

131

26.

from and

27.

Burial C0 ll4 in situ, partially excavated.

131

28.

C0 114-l copper celt and earspools.

132

29.

C0 114-l copper earspools, side view.

132

30.

Inferred sectional profile, earspools.

c 0 114

C0 104 and

133

31.

C0 114-l pearl and shell beads from neck area.

134

32.

C0 114-l shell bead armlet, in situ.

135

33.

C0 114-l shell beads from armlet.

136

34.

C 0 114-l worked bear teeth, femurs.

in

situ

between 137

35.

C0 114-l worked bear teeth, repaired.

137

36.

C 0 114-1 offering Group l artifacts, in situ.

138

37.

C0 114-1 offering Group 2 artifacts, in situ.

138

38.

C 0 114-l sample of the Anculosa and Obovaria beads from both artifact groups combined.

139

C0 114-1 turtle shell rattle fragments from both artifact groups combined.

139

C 0 114-1 Knife River offering Group 1.

140

39. 40.

---

chalcedony

vi

blade

from

41.

C0 114-l shell pendant from offering Group 2.

140

42.

C0 114-l Havana Zoned Dentate Stamped vessel.

141

43.

C0 114-3 engraved shell fragment.

141

44.

Reconstruction of engraved image on C0 114-3 shell fragment.

142

45.

Burials C0 114-4, 5, in situ.

142

46.

C0 114-4 wolf mandible, in situ.

143

47.

C0 114-4 wolf mandible fragments.

143

48.

Burial C0 114-6, in situ.

144

49.

C0 114-6 lanceolate knife, in situ.

144

50.

C0 114-6 lanceolate knives.

145

51.

Miscellaneous projectile points presumably from C0 114 south end mound fill. . .

145

52.

C0 115-l pearl beads.

146

53.

Bundle burial with associated artifacts from between C0 114 and C0 115, in situ.

146

Reconstructed plan view and profile of C0 116 excavations and interments.

147

55.

Burials C0 116-3, 4, 1, and 2.

147

56.

Burials C0 116-3, 4, and C0 116-l, 2, in situ.

148

57.

Burials C0 116-2 and 1, in situ.

148

58.

Late Woodland vessel from first of two mounds, 1 mile north of Snyders site.

149

54.

59. 60.

Roll-out vessels.

views

of

decoration

on

ceramic 150

Pearl and shell beads from first of two mounds, 1 mile north of Snyders site.

vii

151

61. 62.

63. 64.

Late Woodland vessel from second of two mounds, 1 mile north of Snyders Site.

151

Late Woodland vessel southernmost Hagen mound.

from

152

Miscellaneous mound.

southernmost

artifacts,

Burial

2

I

Hagen 152

Late Woodland vessel southernmost Hagen mound.

from

Burial

3

I

153

Late Woodland vessel from unknown provenience, southernmost Hagen mound.

153

Miscellaneous beads and shell discs, from unknown proveniences, southernmost Hagen mound.

154

67.

Plummets from Hagen "government marker" mound.

154

68.

Miscellaneous marker" mound.

artifacts,

155

Tubular stone marker" mound.

pipe

65. 66.

69. 70.

from

Hagen Hagen

"government "government 156

Miscellaneous artifacts from western ridge of Hagen group.

157

Late Woodland vessel from western ridge of Hagen group.

157

Late Woodland vessel from mound west of Kamp site.

158

Late Woodland vessel from mound west of Kamp site.

158

Projectile points from mound fill of Location I, Bell Farm mounds.

159

75.

Artifacts from burial, Bell Farm Location I.

159

76.

Artifacts from burial, Bell Farm Location III.

160

77.

Artifacts from burial, Bell Farm Location IV.

161

71. 72. 73. 74.

viii

78.

Roll-out vessels.

views

of

decoration

on

ceramic 162

79.

Artifacts from Bell Farm Location

80.

Shouldered Location v.

Mississippian

jar,

v.

163 Bell

Farm 164

v.

81.

Mississippian beaker, Bell Farm Location

82.

Hooded Mississippian bottle, Bell Farm Location

164

v.

165

83.

Miscellaneous artifacts from Barry Mound.

165

84.

Baehr Brushed vessel from second level, Mound.

85.

Barry 166

Vessel from compound burial in "middle strata," Barry Mound.

166

Ovoid Dongola flint knife with female, and Knife River chalcedony knife or spear from robust aged male burial in Mound 3 of the Naples group, Scott County, Illinois.

167

87.

Two Knife River specimens.

168

88.

Distribution of Knife River specimens mentioned in this report.

169

Two burial jars from Mound 39 of Shrake Group II, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.

170

Knife River chalcedony specimens 1-7, 11, and other points 8-10 from Mound 39 of Shrake Group II and obverse and reverse of Snyders corner notched knife from Mound 39, Shrake Group II.

171

Cast of Knife River specimen from Warners Landing mound, Vernon County, Wisconsin; Knife River specimen from Mound 20 of the Courtois Group, Crawford County, Wisconsin; and Knife River disc from surface of White's Mound Group, Vernon County, Wisconsin.

172

86.

89. 90.

91.

ix

92.

Three limestone tempered Middle Woodland vessels from the lower Illinois Valley area found in southwest Wisconsin mounds.

173

93.

Knife River chalcedony knives or spears.

174

94.

Obsidian implements from southwest Wisconsin Middle Woodland mounds.

175

95.

Knife River specimens from Wisconsin and Ohio.

176

96.

Knife River chalcedony spears from male Burial 22 and male Burial 47 in Hopewell Mound 25, Ross County, Ohio.

177

Copper specimens from Middle Woodland Mounds in southwest Wisconsin.

178

97.

X

LIST OF TABLES 1.

Plummet measurements

37

2.

Fill Artifacts, Bell Farm Mound Group, Location I .

45

3.

Age and Gender vs. Artifact Disposition .

92

4.

Body Manipulation vs. Artifact Disposition

92

5.

Age and Gender vs. Body Manipulation

93

xi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Several individuals provided technical assistance in Except for Figure 2, by the preparation of this report. and sites the of all photographs Griffin, James B. George Stuber prepared excavations are by Dr. Titterington. all Titterington specimen photographs except Figures 28 and Sarah Wunsch 40, which were prepared by Dr. Titterington. prepared the drawings of the ceramic vessel decorations; all other line illustrations are by the senior author, with Illinois Southern the by reproduction photographic Dan McPike, University Scientific Photography laboratory. and Senior Curator of the Thomas Gilcrease Institute, R.B. Bulsen and Byron w. Knoblock of Quincy, Illinois, assisted in the relocation of the C0 114 chalcedony blade. We are also indebted to Kenneth Starr and Thomas F. Kehoe of the Milwaukee County Museum, James B. Stoltman of the University of Wisconsin, Frances Clark of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Kent D. Vickery and his associates of the University of Cincinnati, Martha Otto of the Ohio Historical Society, Duane C. Anderson and Stephen C. Lensink of the Office of the State Archaeologist of Iowa, John R. Halsey, State Smith of the and Bruce D. Archaeologist of Michigan, Clerical assistance was National Museum of Natural History. provided by the staff at the Department of Anthropology and Southern Investigations, the Center for Archaeological Illinois University- Carbondale, and at the Museum of Publication of the Anthropology, University of Michigan. report was partially supported by a grant from the Southern Research of Office Carbondale, Illinois University Development and Administration.

xiii

1.

INTRODUCTION

The excavation of burial mounds in western Illinois has a long, but unfortunately obscure history. Prior to the recent work by Perino (1968, 1973a, b, c; n.d.) and Buikstra (1976; Buikstra and Goldstein 1973) only a few of the excavations were publicly reported and their finds documented. Under such circumstances, the excavations conducted by Dr. Paul F. Titterington during the 1930s and 1940s are noteworthy not only for their intensity -- over 1000 burials excavated in Jersey County alone -- but also for the quality of their documentation. Titterington excavated burial mounds apparently only in Jersey and Calhoun Counties. His excavations in Jersey county have been briefly reported (Titterington 1935, 1943; see also Shalkop 1949), and the detailed notes and photographs remain available at the Illinois State Museum, Springfield. Titterington never published even summaries of his or others' mound excavations in Calhoun County, but he did donate his notes, photographs, and most of his collection from the several mounds to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. The larger portion of these donated materials pertains to the Knight Mound Group and was reported in a volume published by the Museum of Anthropology shortly after Titterington's death (Griffin, Flanders, and Titterington 1970). The remainder of the burial mound materials donated to the Museum of Anthropology pertains to six other mound groups in Calhoun County: the Snyders Mound Group; an unnamed mound group 1 mi. north of the Snyders site; the Hagen Mound Group; an unnamed group on the bluffs overlooking the Kamp site; the Bell Farm Mound Group; and the Barry Farm Mound Group (Fig. 1). The notes and collections are most extensive for the Snyders Group, where most of the excavations among these six sites took place. The present work reports upon Titterington's records of excavations at the Snyders Mound Group and the other five mound groups in Calhoun County, based on the available documents and collections. These excavations uncovered 1

IL.

H

F3

0

mi.

•

*

5

mound group artif