Evidence for the Antiquity of Scalping from Central Illinois

Abstract

Just before the archaeological party of the University of Chicago moved camp to the extreme southeastern part of Fulton County, Illinois, during the summer of 1933, the writer visited the aboriginal site (designated Fv896 by the archaeological survey) on the Norman Crable farm located on the high Illinois River bluff about two miles north of Bluff City. Here for several years Mr. Glenn McGirr, a local collector, had opened a large number of graves to secure artifacts, and on that afternoon had opened six of them. The burials were extended on the back with the arms to the sides and accompanied by typical Middle Mississippi pottery and other artifacts that were assigned to the Spoon River focus of the Monk's Mound aspect after excavations had been carried on by the field party.