Modoc Rock Shelter Site, IL (11R5) 1984 Excavation Project

Summary

This project includes faunal remains collected during the 1984 excavations at Modoc Rock Shelter (11R5). The 1984 archaeological excavation was directed by Drs. Bonnie Styles (Illinois State Museum) and Melvin Fowler (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee). Steven Ahler of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee served as the field director. Funding was provided by National Science Foundation collaborative grants to the Illinois State Museum Society and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with Drs. Bonnie Styles and Melvin Fowler serving as the Principal Investigators.

In 1984, excavations were conducted in four areas at the site:

1) Main Trench (Units A, B, I, C, and E)

2) West Pillar (Unit F)

3) East Pillar (Units G, H, and J)

4) Non-sheltered Area between the West and Central Shelters (Unit D)

The Main Trench, West Pillar, and East Pillar are located within the Main or Central Shelter of Modoc Rock Shelter. Early and Middle Archaic remains were recovered from the lower half of the stratigraphic sequence in the Main Trench and West Pillar areas. Late Archaic and Woodland remains were recovered from the upper 4 meters of sediment in the East Pillar area.

Excavation of Unit D in the non-sheltered area between the Main or Central Shelter area and the West Shelter area confirmed the findings from the 1980 excavations at the site. Excavations and radiometric dating of deposits in 1980 demonstrated that strata in west and central areas of the site at equal elevations differ in age. Excavations in Unit D, which is located between the west and central shelters, in 1984 confirmed that Unit D and the west and central areas of the site have distinctive stratigraphic sequences that cannot be grouped based on elevation. The west and main shelters should be treated as two sites with distinctive stratigraphic sequences. Strata in Unit D cannot be correlated with the west shelter or the main/central shelter. Strata in Unit F in the west pillar of the central shelter have not been clearly correlated with strata in the main trench excavation in the central shelter. Faunal remains from the four areas of excavation noted above are presented in separate databases,

Faunal remains were recovered via waterscreening through 1/4" mesh and flotation using a Patty Jo Watson-style flotation barrel with the heavy fraction (including the faunal remains) collected in 1/16 " mesh. Vertebrate faunal remains from the 1/4" waterscreening were identified by Mona Colburn using the Osteological Comparative Collections of the Illinois State Museum; and checked by Dr. Bonnie Styles. Bivalves were identified by Dr. Bonnie Styles and verified by Dr. Bob Warren.

Although features were excavated, all of the faunal remains identified for this project came from midden contexts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Prairie Peninsula   •
• Modoc Rock Shelter (11R5), Randolph County, Illinois   •
• Eastern Archaic Faunal Working Group

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Radiocarbon Date: 6360 to 6100 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT3, Unit A, Feature 526, ISGS-1345, Elevation 122.37-122.06 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 6590 to 6430 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT4, Unit E, Feature 538, ISGS-1389, elevation 122.04-121.72 meters above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 7830 to 7690 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT9/10, Unit C, Feature 276, ISGS-1383, Elevation 120.95-120.80 meters above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8500 to 8360 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT20, Unit C, ISGS-1375, Elevation 119.56-119.43 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 7890 to 7570 (1984 West Pillar, West Pillar Stratum 7F, Unit F, Feature 734/735, ISGS-1351, Elevation 120.19-120.05, wood charcoal and charred nut shell, dates disagrees with stratigraphic context)

Radiocarbon Date: 7280 to 7140 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT8, Unit C, Feature 275, ISGS-1386, elevation 121.18-121.03 meters above sea level, charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 4950 to 4690 (1984 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 9E, Unit H, Feature 1029, ISGS-1340, Elevation 124.54-124.30 above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 4800 to 4660 (1987 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 9E, Unit M, Feature 1131, ISGS-1986, Elevation 124.60-124.30 above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nutshell)

Radiocarbon Date: 5680 to 5520 (1984 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 11E, 1984 sample of Unit 35R5, ISGS1360, Elevation 123.59-123.43 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 4920 to 4780 (1987 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 9E, Unit H, ISGS-1983, Elevation 124.51-124.43 meters above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nutshell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8300 to 8080 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT15, Unit B, ISGS 1376, Elevation 119.80-119.67 above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 4420 to 4240 (1987 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 8E, ISGS 1982, Units L, M, Elevation 125.09-124,71 above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8230 to 7970 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT13, Unit B, Feature 534, ISGS1381, Elevation 120.01-199.98 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 7350 to 7170 (1989 Central Pit Profile, Main Trench Stratum MT7/8, ISGS-1991, Elevation 121.25-121.15, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8040 to 7600 (1980 Profile, Main Trench Feature 276, Main Trench Stratum MT9/10, ISGS 815. Elevation 120.91-120.84, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 8470 to 8410 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT23/24, Units B, C, Feature 259, ISGS-1374, Elevation 119.33-119.08 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 5090 to 4690 (1987 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 9E, Units L, M, ISGS-1987, Elevation 124.68-124.50 above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nutshell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8450 to 8250 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT20, Unit B, Feature261/388, ISGS-1333, elevation 119.48-119.41 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 6000 to 5860 (1984 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 11E, Unit H, ISGS-1342, Elevation 123.25-123.00 above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 6210 to 6070 (1989 Central Pit Profile, Main Trench Stratum MT3, ISGS-1990, elevation 122.37-122.17 meters above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 8240 to 8060 (1984 West Pillar, West Pillar Stratum 7F/8F, Unit F, ISGS-1352, Elevation 120.66-120.60 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 5910 to 5530 (1984 West Pillar, West Pillar Stratum 2F, Unit F profile, ISGS-1343, Elevation 123.15-122.40 meters above sea level, wood charcoal, potentially contaminated)

Radiocarbon Date: 8080 to 7920 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT12, Unit C, Feature 244/245, ISGS-1382, Elevation 120.64-120.55 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 6860 to 6720 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT5, Unit E, Feature 540, ISGS-1388, Elevation 121.80-121.65 meters above sea level, Wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 4180 to 4020 (1984 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 7E, Unit H, Feature 1013, ISGS-1298, Elevation, 125.31-125.19 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 8320 to 8160 (1989 Central Pit Profile, Main Trench Stratum MT13, ISGS-1994, Elevation 120.54-120.24 meters above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 6340 to 6040 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT2, Unit E, Feature 528, ISGS-1336, Elevation 122.84-122.50 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 7360 to 7040 (1984 Main Trench, Main Trench Stratum MT6, Unit E, Feature 454, ISGS-1485, elevation 121.63-121.59 meters above sea level, wood charcoal)

Radiocarbon Date: 7880 to 7620 (1984 West Pillar, West Pillar Stratum 6F, Unit F, Feature 530, ISGS-1344, Elevation 120.34-120.21, wood charcoal and charred nut shell)

Radiocarbon Date: 4570 to 4370 (1984 East Pillar, East Pillar Stratum 10AE, Unit H, ISGS 1341, Elevation 123.68-123.42 above sea level, wood charcoal and charred nut shell, potentially contaminated)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contributor(s): Mona Colburn

Field Director(s): Steven Ahler

Principal Investigator(s): Bonnie Styles; Melvin L. Fowler

Repository(s): Illinois State Museum

Source Collections

Illinois State Museum