Modoc Rock Shelter Site, IL (11R5) 1956 Excavation Project

Summary

The 1956 field season placed a deep excavation in the West Shelter area, and provided material from zones deeper than in previous years. An area approximately 20 x 30 feet was excavated in a contiguous block to circa 16 feet below the existing ground surface (the area had been subjected to removal of road fill). 117 5 x 5 foot units were excavated in 1-foot increments (levels). Dr. Melvin L. Fowler (Illinois State Museum) directed the excavations. The work was sponsored by the Illinois State Museum, the University of Chicago Department of Anthropology, a Wenner-Gren Foundation grant, and the Illinois State Museum Society.

Gastropod remains from the 1956 field season deep excavation in the West Shelter area were recovered via either hand picking or screening through 1/4" (6.4 mm) mesh.

In 1991, a sample of gastropods from the 1956 strata was chosen by Dr. Steven R. Ahler (Illinois State Museum) to represent a contiguous cross-section of the 1956 excavations. The gastropod samples from the 1956 excavation were identified by James L. Theler (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse). Theler's data were entered into an electronic database in 2015 by Mona Colburn (Illinois State Museum).