North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Iliniwek Village State Historic Site, MO (1);
Reference: Grantham, L.D., Butler, W.B., DeVore, S.L., and J.W. Walker. (1995). Geophysical Investigations at Iliniwek Village State Historic Site: A 17th Century Illini Village in Northeast Missouri. Paper presented at the 53rd Annual Plains Conference, Laramie, Wyoming.
Geophysical investigations were conducted at the Iliniwek Site at the request of Larry Grantham. The purpose of the project was to assist the Division of State Parks' staff in their efforts to investigate the site and its association with the 1673 French exploration of the Mississippi River by Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet. Missouri State Parks' staff under the direction of Dr. Larry Grantham had initiated an excavation project of an area along the edge of the terrace. Excavations in 1994 and 1995 uncovered one of the Illini longhouses, which contained a variety of native artifacts and European trade goods. The geophysical survey grid was established adjacent to the excavation block. The grid measured 80 meters east-west by 120 meters north-south.
The magnetic survey data were collected at 8 samples per meter with one-meter traverses across the site. While the data revealed a few magnetic anomalies, the main concentration was associated with the Missouri State Parks' previous excavation north of the 1995 excavation block. Other anomalies appeared to be associated with the village occupation. A few of the magnetic dipole anomalies may be fire hearths or concentrations of fire cracked rock while others are European iron artifacts.
The resistance data provided a detailed picture of the village layout in this area of the site. The longhouses were represented by low resistive values while the paths between the structures were substantially more resistive. In the southern half of the geophysical survey area the low resistive areas appeared to indicate the reuse of the area for longhouse construction as well as the shape of individual longhouse structures. In the north central part of the survey area a circular anomaly was noted. Subsequent excavations of this area indicated the presence of multiple building episodes associated with the longhouses and a circular structure centered near N940/E1030.
Due to the physical nature of the sand terrace, the resistance survey provided important information on the settlement pattern of this portion of the village. The magnetic data provided a less clear picture of the Illini activities within the area of geophysical investigations. The State Parks personnel have subsequently contiued their resistivity investigations of the site with the assistance of the University of Illinois staff and students.