Hoxie Farm site facts for kids

The Hoxie Farm site (known to archaeologists as 11Ck-4) is an important archaeological spot. It's located on Thorn Creek in the Thornton, Illinois Cook County Forest Preserve in Cook County, Illinois. This area is close to the big city of Chicago.

Archaeologists believe this site was home to people from the late prehistoric period, right up to when Europeans first arrived. It's linked to the Upper Mississippian period, specifically a group called the Huber culture.

Discovering the Past: Digging at Hoxie Farm

Archaeologists first started digging at the Hoxie Farm site in 1953. This was a "rescue dig" because a new highway was going to be built in the area. They wanted to save as many historical clues as possible before the site was covered up forever.

The Huber Culture: An Ancient People

The Huber culture is part of a larger group of ancient people known as the Upper Mississippian cultures. These groups lived around the southern part of Lake Michigan. This includes areas in northern Illinois, Indiana, and southwestern Michigan.

Huber and Fisher: Two Related Cultures

When we talk about the Huber culture, we often also hear about the Fisher culture. Both Huber and Fisher groups made pottery using crushed shells to strengthen it. This is called "shell-tempered pottery."

However, their pottery looked a bit different:

• Huber pottery was mostly smooth and plain, with thin, detailed lines for decoration.
• Fisher pottery often had a rough, "cordmarked" surface, with wider, simpler lines for decoration.

For a long time, archaeologists wondered how Huber and Fisher cultures were related. They also wondered how these groups fit in with other ancient cultures in the area.

How Huber and Fisher Cultures are Connected

Today, most archaeologists believe that the Huber and Fisher cultures are like different branches of the same family tree. This larger family is called the Oneota tradition.

We now know that the Fisher culture is older than the Huber culture. However, both groups seemed to live in the same places at the same time. The Hoxie Farm site, along with others like Griesmer and Moccasin Bluff, show evidence of both cultures living together.

Archaeologists think that the Huber culture likely developed from the Fisher culture over time. But it's also possible that some Fisher groups continued to live alongside Huber groups, even into the early historic period.

What We Learned from Hoxie Farm

The artifacts found at Hoxie Farm give us a great look into what life was like for the Huber people.

Daily Life and Fun

Archaeologists found many items that show how people lived day-to-day:

• Personal items: Things like hair decorations, bracelets, and pendants were found. These show that people cared about how they looked.
• Tools: Knives, scrapers, chisels, needles, and awls were used for everyday tasks.
• Games: Bone or antler dice were discovered, suggesting that people played games or gambled. Native American tribes often enjoyed games.
• Music: A bone rasp was found. This is a tool used to make music, perhaps for fun or for special ceremonies.
• Spiritual life: Stemmed pipes and pieces of art with spiritual meanings were also present. This tells us about the community's beliefs and spiritual practices.

Food and Farming

The people at Hoxie Farm were skilled at getting food:

• Farming: They grew plants! Remains of maize (corn) were found. They used hoes made from bison and elk shoulder blades to farm.
• Hunting: Deer bones were very common, along with arrowheads. This shows that hunting deer with bows and arrows was an important way to get food.
• Fishing: Bones from fish and turtles were also found. This means they used the nearby marshes and creeks for food.

When People Lived There

By studying the animal bones, researchers figured out that the site was used from at least spring through fall. It's even possible that people lived there all year round! 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 long periods, not just for a short visit.

European Trade Goods

Interestingly, the Hoxie Farm site had some items that came from Europeans. This means the site was still active very late in prehistory, right around the time Europeans were arriving in North America.

However, the pottery found at the site seems to be from an earlier time in the Huber culture's history. This might mean that the Hoxie Farm site was lived in for a very long time. Perhaps both early and later types of Huber pottery were mixed together because the site was used for so many years.