The Larson Site is a prehistoric archaeological site in Fulton County, Illinois, near the city of Lewistown. The site was the location of a Mississippian town and was occupied during the 13th and 14th centuries. The town was one of seven major town sites in the central Illinois River valley and served as a social and economic center for surrounding villages and farms. The artifacts uncovered at the site have been well-preserved and include both organic remains and intact homes, providing significant archaeological evidence regarding the Mississippian way of life.[2]
Larson Site | |
 | |
| Nearest city | Lewistown, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001145[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1978 |
Early History
editThe Larson Site was a stockaded village with a large flat-topped mound in an open plaza surrounded by homes.[3][4] The Larson site was located at the confluence of the Spoon River and Illinois River.[5]
Spoon River Mississippian consists of three phases:[6]
- Eveland (A.D. 1050–1150)
- Orendorf (A.D. 1150–1250)
- Larson (A.D. 1250–1300)
Archaeology
editIn 1964 through 1970, archaeologist Alan Harn excavated the Larson Site.[7][8] The village had been attacked and burned circa 1240.[9]
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1978.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Maruszak, Kathleen. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Larson Site. National Park Service, 1977-09.
- ^ "Native Americans: Prehistoric: Mississippian". Illinois State Museum. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Conner, Michael D. (2016). "Mississippian Habitation Components at Dickson Mounds in the Central Illinois River Valley". Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. 41 (1): 67–92. ISSN 0146-1109.
- ^ "Native Americans: Prehistoric: Mississippian: Economy:Settlement". Illinois State Museum. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Kuehn, Steven (2013). "Mississippian Faunal and Botanical Remains from the Tree Row (11F53) and Baker-Preston (11F20) Sites, Fulton County, Illinois". Illinois Archaeology. 25: 27–62 – via Academia.edu.
- ^ "Dickson Mounds Still Yield Clues To Early Native American Life". WGLT. September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Harn, Alan D. (1986). The Marion phase occupation of the Larson site in the central Illinois River valley. Kampsville seminars in archeology. Vol. 2. Center for American Archaeology Press. ISBN 978-0-942118-24-7.
- ^ "Oral History Interview - Historians Speak Alan Harn". presidentlincoln.illinois.gov. Retrieved September 23, 2023.