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)
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02/03/2023 Last update