American Indian Ways of Life: An Interpretation of the Archaeology of Illinois and Adjoining AreasDeuel, Thorne
History
American Indian Ways of Life: An Interpretation of the Archaeology of Illinois and Adjoining Areas
Deuel, Thorne
Illinois -- Antiquities; Indians of North America -- Illinois
Planting-raising economy supplemented by hunting and collecting
Crops: Maize, beans, squash, tobacco
Weaving of cloth, basket- and mat-making
Clothing: Wrap-around-skirt for women, breech cloth for men,
supplemented by robes in cold weather, feather cloth robes in
ceremonies. Mocassins for women and probably for men.
Large villages (or clusters of villages) as well as small settlements
The wigwam (for lower classes?)
Possibly log cabin dwellings for highest social class, logs laid
horizontal as in tomb chambers
Rise of wealth, rich and extensive trade
Dug-out boats (?)
Two or three social classes seem to be indicated by burial customs
Chiefs—a political form of government, with some of the clans,
possibly bear, wolverine and bobcat, predominant in certain
areas
A tribe organized either politically or into clans with subsidiary
districts or villages and political or clan chiefs.
Chiefs may have worn deer antler headdresses.
Chiefs probably wore feather headdresses, feather cloth robes, mantles
embroidered with pearls shells and cut shell beads, and other
insignia of office.
Tomb chambers probably for chiefs with relatives and retainers slain
to accompany them
Chief person in tomb sometimes woman (May indicate matrilineal descent
or simply ranking woman of highest caste)
Maxillary (jaw) pendants worn maybe as trophies of war and hunt, or to
indicate clan of a chief (?)
Doubtless the pipe served (as it did later) as a safe conduct to
visiting officials, travellers and traders, and a signature
and seal to important agreements whether economic, political
or intertribal
Probably a formalized religion based on the chief food plant, maize
Regularly appointed priests
The priest probably wore feather robes and insignia of rank and
position
Religion probably included ceremonies connected with plant- or
maize-raising
Deities or gods with special powers related to food-raising, etc.
The spring or planting festival
The green corn or first fruits festival
The harvest festival and perhaps minor festivals revolving about the
deer
High-ranking priests were probably of the highest caste and their
bodies given special care on death, elaborate funeral
ceremonies and burial in the tomb chambers of mounds, with
tribal mourning
Beautiful pipes either with or without long wooden items probably
figured largely in the religious ceremonies
Shamans probably still practiced the healing art (and black magic).
They probably used herbals instead of mineral medicines
High development of art in pottery, ceramic, copper and stone
sculpture, in engraving on bone in personal adornment and
technological expertness
FINAL (WOODLAND) PHASE 200(?)-1000 A.D.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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