Wilson Mounds and Village Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wilson Mounds and Village Site
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Within and surrounding the Marshall Ferry Cemetery at Rising Sun |
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| Area | 430 acres (170 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000491 |
| Added to NRHP | November 16, 1977 |
The Wilson Mounds and Village Site is an ancient place where people lived long ago. It is located near the Marshall Ferry Cemetery in Rising Sun, Illinois. This special site includes twelve large earth mounds built by the Hopewell people. It also has the remains of their old village.
Contents
Discovering the Past
The Hopewell people lived at this site for a long time. They were here from about 400 BC to 400 AD. That's over 1,600 years ago!
Digging for Clues
Scientists started digging at the site in the 1940s. Later, experts from the Illinois State Museum and the University of Chicago studied it more closely. They wanted to learn about the people who lived there.
Ancient Trade Routes
The Hopewell village was part of a huge trade network. This network stretched across much of the eastern United States. People at Wilson Mounds traded goods with others far away. For example, things from North Carolina and near Lake Superior have been found here. This shows how connected ancient communities were.
Who Lived Here?
Scientists found bones from different groups of people at the site. This means that more than one culture lived together in this village. It was a diverse community.
Burial Customs
The site has both earth mounds and an ancient cemetery. The mounds were used for burying people. It seems that people were buried differently based on their importance in the community.
A Protected Site
Because of its importance, the Wilson Mounds and Village Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This happened on November 16, 1977. This helps protect the site for future study.
Images for kids
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An image of the Wilson Mounds site.
See also
