Did you know St. Charles is the site of ancient mounds built by prehistoric native tribes? What secrets are hidden in these mounds, and what do they reveal about the customs and culture of the people who built them?
Brian and Joyce Ostberg, producers of the BeHistoric video channel on YouTube, present their research regarding the history and prehistory of the St Charles Mounds, also referred to as the Ferson Mounds or Wild Rose Mounds.
These prehistoric earthworks sit astride Illinois Route 31, along the west banks of the Fox River in St Charles, and are representative of dozens of mounds that once existed along the Fox River Valley, from Dundee to Oswego, prior to the incursions of white and European settlers in the early 1800s. These ancient earthworks and burial sites were often desecrated and destroyed by the plow, by industry and mining, or residential construction.
The history of St Charles mounds includes excavations by antiquarians in the late 1870s, diggings by amateurs in the 1960s, and more formal salvage archaeology in the 1970s.
Brian and Joyce will discuss the results of these excavations, what it meant to archaeological research, and how it became part of a much larger societal movement, related to shifting views regarding Native Americans and the methods of archaeological research.
Wednesdays @ One events offer free admission, thanks to the generous support of Colonial Cafe.
(image credit Louis S Glanzman)