• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Allerton

Park & Retreat Center

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TripAdvisor
  • Linkedin
  • Reserve
    • Weddings
      • Wedding Spaces
      • Lodging
      • Request for Information
      • Catering
      • Testimonials
    • Meetings & Retreats
      • Meeting Packages
      • Meeting Spaces
      • Lodging
      • Request for Information
      • Catering
      • Team-building/Breakout Activities
    • Special Occasions
      • Event Spaces
      • Lodging
      • Request for Information
      • Catering
    • Lodging
      • Glamping Getaway
    • The Dome
  • visit
    • Event Calendar
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Park Maps
      • Public Tours & Hikes
      • Accessibility
      • Lodging
        • Glamping Getaway
      • Staff Recommendations
      • Area Attractions
    • THE FARMS: An Allerton Folk School
    • Greenhouse Café
    • Concert Series
    • Youth Programs
      • Summer Day Camp 2023
    • Dinners/Special Events
    • Holiday Events
    • Classes & Workshops
  • discover
    • About
    • The History
      • Allerton Family
      • Robert Allerton
      • Allerton Park
        • Since 1946
    • The Gardens
      • Formal Gardens Map
      • Public Tours & Hikes
      • Classes & Workshops
      • Bloom Calendar
    • Natural Areas
      • Trail Map
      • Public Tours & Hikes
      • Birding
      • Research
      • Management
    • Artwork
      • Map
    • The Future
      • Master Plan
      • Artisan Village
      • The Wandering Woods
      • ALL IN for Allerton
    • Park Blog
    • Diversity, Inclusion, and Access
    • Sustainability
  • engage
    • Donate
      • ALL IN for Allerton
      • Building the Legacy
      • Memorial & Dedicatory Gifts
      • Sponsorship Opportunities
      • Wish List
    • VOLUNTEER
      • Become a Volunteer
      • Volunteer News
      • Allerton Park Photography Group
      • Elderhostel Spring Break
    • SHOP
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Allerton In-Residence
      • Artist-in-Residence Program
      • Naturalist-in-Residence Program
      • Rooting A Deeper Connection
      • Past Residents
  • connect
    • Contact
      • Since 1946
    • ENEWS
    • Staff
  •  

Archaeological Work at Allerton

February 12, 2019 by Allerton.admin

AN EXCERPT FROM ALLERTON’S 2019 RETREAT & REVIEW | “ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK AT ALLERTON” BY NATE BECCUE, NATURAL AREAS MANAGER

Allerton is home to a group of mounds now called ‘Samuel’s Mounds,’ named after Robert Allerton’s father. Samuel’s Mounds consist of ten mounds thought to date to the Late Woodland Period, roughly 1,000 years ago. Mound groups like these were likely abundant up and down the Sangamon River pre-settlement, but unfortunately most mounds have been destroyed due to looting, agricultural practices, and development. Archeologists from the Illinois State Archeological Survey (ISAS) were happy to find that Samuel’s Mounds are well preserved with only two having been damaged by historical looting.

In 2018, Parkland College Archeology Field School explored Allerton Park for the second year in a row. A group of six students led by Dr. B. Jacob Skousen (ISAS) focused their attention on woodland areas near Samuel’s Mounds. One of the goals of the field school was to identify living areas associated with the Mound group. ISAS staff used non-invasive LiDAR, magnetometry, and soil restivity to locate nearby areas of interest, and then the field school students excavated a number of these areas. Excavated areas yielded a number of artifacts including projectile points, food preparation tools, and pottery sherds. The Field School will use Allerton again this year as they continue exploring the area surrounding the Mounds and the Mounds themselves.

The Allerton Archaeological Project is a joint, multi-year research and educational effort by ISAS, the Allerton Park staff, the University of Illinois, and Parkland College to understand the long-term cultural history of this protected segment of over 1,500 acres of the Sangamon River valley, especially concentrating on the poorly known native history. As the project wraps up, keep an eye out for new interpretive signage along the McDonald Family Trail explaining the location and history of the Mounds.

To learn about additional research projects being conducted at Allerton, click HERE.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TripAdvisor
  • Linkedin

515 Old Timber Road

Monticello, Illinois 61856

217 333 3287

allertoninfo@illinois.edu

CONNECT

  • Contact
  • Event Policies
  • eNews Archive
  • Staff
  • Photog Credits

Sign up for Allerton news

Click to Subscribe


University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign

Copyright © 2023 · allerton on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in