Hoxie Farm Site facts for kids

The Hoxie Farm Site (also known as 11Ck-4) is an important archaeological spot located on Thorn Creek in Calumet City, Illinois. It's close to the big city of Chicago. This site tells us about people who lived there a very long time ago, during a period called the late Prehistoric to Protohistoric/Early Historic times. It's linked to the Upper Mississippian Huber people.

Digging Up the Past: Archaeological Finds

Archaeologists are like detectives who study the past. They dug up the Hoxie Farm Site in 1953. This was a "salvage project," meaning they had to quickly save as much information as possible. A new highway was going to be built, which would destroy the site. Thanks to their quick work, we learned a lot about the people who once lived there.

Who Were the Huber People?

The Huber people were part of the Upper Mississippian Culture. This group lived in the southern Lake Michigan area, including parts of northern Illinois, Indiana, and southwest Michigan.

Huber and Fisher Cultures: What's the Difference?

When archaeologists talk about the Huber culture, they often mention another group called the Fisher culture. Both Huber and Fisher people made pottery using crushed shells to strengthen it. However, their pottery looked a bit different:

• Huber pottery: Mostly plain surfaces with thin, detailed lines for decoration.
• Fisher pottery: Often had rough, cord-marked surfaces with wider, simpler lines for decoration.

For a long time, experts debated how Huber and Fisher cultures were related. Early on, some thought Huber was a specific type of the Oneota culture, based on their pottery. We now know more! Fisher culture is older than Huber. Also, Huber sites are the only ones found with early European trade goods, like beads or metal tools. This means the Huber people were around when Europeans first arrived.

Even though Fisher is older, both cultures seem to have lived in the same places at the same time. Places like Hoxie Farm, Griesmer, and Moccasin Bluff show signs of both Huber and Fisher people. Most archaeologists now believe that Huber culture developed from Fisher culture over time. It's also possible that some Fisher groups continued to exist into the early historic period.

What Makes Hoxie Farm Special?

The things found at Hoxie Farm give us a great look into the daily lives of the Huber people. It's like a snapshot of their world!

Daily Life and Tools

Archaeologists found many items that show how people lived:

• Personal items: Hair accessories, bracelets, and pendants were found. These show that people cared about how they looked.
• Tools for work: Knives, scrapers, chisels, needles, and awls were used for everyday tasks. These might have been used for preparing food, making clothes, or building things.
• Farming: They grew plants! Remains of maize (corn) were found. They also used hoes made from bison and elk shoulder blades to farm.
• Hunting and Fishing: Deer bones and arrowheads show they hunted animals. Fish and turtle bones mean they also caught food from nearby marshes and creeks.

Fun and Spiritual Life

Life wasn't just about work. The Huber people also had fun and spiritual practices:

• Games: Bone or antler dice were found, suggesting they played games or gambled. Native American tribes often played games.
• Music: A bone rasp, a type of musical instrument, was found. This means they made music for fun or for ceremonies.
• Spirituality: Stemmed pipes and art pieces with spiritual meanings were discovered. These items give us clues about their beliefs and ceremonies.

When Was the Site Used?

By studying the animal bones, researchers figured out that people lived at Hoxie Farm from at least spring through fall. It's even possible they lived there all year! They had storage pits to keep food safe during the cold winter months. The presence of items for music, games, and religion also suggests that people stayed there for longer periods, not just for a short visit.

Even though Hoxie Farm had European trade goods (meaning it was used quite late in prehistory), the pottery found there seems to be from an earlier time in the Huber culture. This might mean the site was used for a very long time, and pottery from both early and later periods got mixed together. Since the site wasn't found in layers, it was hard for archaeologists to separate items from different time periods.