Anker Site facts for kids

The Anker Site (also known as 11Ck-21) is an important archaeological site located on the Little Calumet River near Chicago, Illinois. It's known as a late Prehistoric site, meaning it dates back to a time before written records. It belongs to a group of ancient people called the Huber culture, which is part of the larger Upper Mississippian culture.

Discovering the Anker Site

How the Site Was Found

In 1958, people were building new homes in a suburb of Chicago. During this construction, they accidentally found ancient remains. This discovery led to an archaeological dig.

Who Studied the Site

The Illinois Archaeological Survey quickly started a "salvage operation." This means they worked to save and study the historical items before they were destroyed by construction. Many people also helped by digging and sharing what they found with the Survey.

The Huber Culture and Its Neighbors

What is the Huber Culture?

The Huber culture is an ancient group of people who lived in the southern Lake Michigan area. This includes parts of northern Illinois, Indiana, and southwestern Michigan. Their culture is often talked about alongside another group called the Fisher culture. Both Huber and Fisher are part of the Upper Mississippian culture.

Huber and Fisher Pottery

Archaeologists often tell the difference between these groups by looking at their pottery.

• Huber pottery usually has a plain surface with thin, detailed lines for decoration.
• Fisher pottery often has a rough, "cord-marked" surface, like it was pressed with a cord. It also has wider, simpler decorations.

How Huber and Fisher Cultures Are Related

For a long time, experts wondered how the Huber and Fisher cultures were connected. We now know that the Fisher culture is older. The Huber culture came later and lasted into the time when Europeans first arrived in North America. We know this because Huber pottery has been found with early European trade goods at some sites.

Even though Fisher is older, both cultures sometimes lived at the same places at the same time. Sites like Hoxie Farm, Griesmer, and Moccasin Bluff show this. Most archaeologists now believe that Huber developed from Fisher.

Why the Anker Site is Special

The Anker Site is unique among Huber sites. It has a lot of special items, including:

• Many trade goods from far away places.
• Items that seem to be used for ceremonies or religious practices.

This suggests that the Anker Site might have been a very important place. It could have been a center for trade or religious gatherings. It's even possible that people from the lower Mississippi River area came to live or trade with the Huber people here.

The Importance of the Anker Site

What Makes Anker Important?

The Anker Site is a key location for understanding the Huber culture. It's thought to be closely related to another ancient group called the Oneota Orr Focus. The site is special because of the large number of trade goods found there. These goods came from many different places:

• Mostly from the lower Mississippi River area.
• Also from northern Michigan.
• And from the Iroquoian areas of Ontario and New York State.

Finding items from so many different regions suggests that the Huber people at Anker had wide-reaching trade networks. It could also mean that different groups of people moved around and settled in this area.

Clues About Life at Anker

Archaeologists found a large building at the Anker Site. This building is bigger than other Huber houses found at places like the Oak Forest site. This suggests it might have been a special building for ceremonies. The discovery of a dog skull placed in one of the pits also supports this idea.

Many items found in graves at Anker might have been part of medicine bundles or had other spiritual meanings. A special necklace-like item called a gorget was found with a "weeping eye" design. This design, along with trade pots from the Middle Mississippian area, shows that the Anker residents knew about or took part in the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. This was a shared set of religious beliefs and symbols among many ancient Native American groups.

When People Lived There

Based on the animal bones and farming tools (like scapula hoes made from animal shoulder blades) found at the site, experts believe people lived at Anker at least during the summer months. It might have been a religious or ceremonial center for the Huber culture. Other sites, like Oak Forest, may have been where people lived more permanently.

There are no exact dates from carbon dating for the Anker Site. However, based on the items found, researchers think the site was used between about A.D. 1400 and 1500. We don't know for sure which specific Native American tribe lived there. However, the Miami, Illinois, or a Chewere Sioux group are possible options.