Nutwood Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Nutwood Site
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Western side of Illinois Route 100, 500 feet (150 m) south of the Narrows Creek bridge |
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| Area | 10.5 acres (4.2 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003784 |
| Added to NRHP | February 9, 1979 |
The Nutwood Site is an important archaeological site in Illinois, USA. An archaeological site is a place where people lived a long time ago. We can find clues about their lives there. This site is located near a small town called Nutwood. It is right next to Illinois Route 100. It helps us learn about people who lived in North America before Christopher Columbus arrived. This time period is called "pre-Columbian."
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Exploring the Nutwood Site
The Nutwood Site is found on the western side of Illinois Route 100. It is just south of a stream called Narrows Creek. This area is in Illinois.
Who Lived at Nutwood?
The Nutwood Site dates back to a time called the Jersey Bluff phase. This was part of the Late Woodland period. This period lasted from about 750 to 1100 A.D. People from this time lived in settled communities. They often used resources from nearby rivers and forests.
What Did Archaeologists Find?
Archaeologists have found many interesting things at the Nutwood Site. One major discovery is a large shell midden. A midden is like an ancient trash pile. This one is made mostly of shells. These shells likely came from Narrows Creek and Otter Creek nearby. This tells us that people living here ate a lot of shellfish.
They also found four firepits. These firepits were identified by piles of burnt limestone and igneous rock. Firepits were used for cooking, warmth, and making tools. The rocks show how hot the fires were.
Another exciting find was pieces of Hopewell pottery. The Hopewell culture was an earlier group of people. They lived in this region from about 200 B.C. to 500 A.D. Finding their pottery suggests that the Nutwood Site had connections to these older cultures. Perhaps they traded goods or shared ideas.
Protecting History
The Nutwood Site is very important for understanding the past. Because of its historical value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This happened on February 9, 1979. Being on this list helps protect the site. It ensures that future generations can also learn from it.
