Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Restoration and Management?Restoration and Management?

A Case Study from EmiquonA Case Study from Emiquon

Michael D. Wiant, Terrance J. Martin, Bonnie W. StylesMichael D. Wiant, Terrance J. Martin, Bonnie W. Styles

Illinois State MuseumIllinois State Museum

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Illinois State Museum—Dickson MoundsIllinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Morton Site ExcavationMorton Site Excavation

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Discovery & RecoveryDiscovery & Recoveryof Plant & Animal Remainsof Plant & Animal Remains

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Morton SiteMorton SiteFeature 224Feature 224

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Morton SiteMorton SiteFeature 224Feature 224

Animal RemainsAnimal Remains

• Birds: wild turkey, large Birds: wild turkey, large duck, small duck, great duck, small duck, great blue heronblue heron

• Turtles: large slider, variety Turtles: large slider, variety of pond turtles, snapping of pond turtles, snapping turtle, large softshellturtle, large softshell

• Mammals: white-tailed Mammals: white-tailed deer, beaver, raccoon, deer, beaver, raccoon, muskrat, fox squirrel, elkmuskrat, fox squirrel, elk

• Fish: bowfin, black bass and Fish: bowfin, black bass and sunfish, channel catfish and sunfish, channel catfish and bullheads, northern pike, bullheads, northern pike, redhorse sucker, garredhorse sucker, gar

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

CanCan Archaeology Inform Wetland Archaeology Inform Wetland Restoration and Management?Restoration and Management?

• ConsiderationsConsiderations– Availability of contemporary and/or historical dataAvailability of contemporary and/or historical data– Historical data vis a vis the timing of system-alteringHistorical data vis a vis the timing of system-altering

transformationstransformations

Forbes & Richardson 1908

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Restoration and Management?Restoration and Management?

• ConsiderationsConsiderations– Preservation (Natural)Preservation (Natural)– Sampling (Archaeological method)Sampling (Archaeological method)– Recovery (Archaeological method)Recovery (Archaeological method)– Duration & Frequency of occupation (Indigenous culture – Duration & Frequency of occupation (Indigenous culture –

Archaeological method)Archaeological method)– Technology (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)Technology (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)– Habitat target (Indigenous culture – Archaeological Habitat target (Indigenous culture – Archaeological

method)method)– Selection (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)Selection (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)– Processing (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)Processing (Indigenous culture – Archaeological method)– Cultural change (Evolution)Cultural change (Evolution)– Natural change (Nature)Natural change (Nature)

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Selected Archaeological Sites in Selected Archaeological Sites in the Illinois River Valleythe Illinois River Valley

Koster

Newbridge

Liverpool Lake

Rench

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Sturg

eon

Bigmo

uth b

uffalo

Black/sm

allmo

uth b

uffalo

Bu

ffalo

Buffa

lo/ca

rpsu

cker

Carp

suck

er

River re

dhorse

Silve

r red

horse

Black re

dhorse

Golde

n red

horse

Shor

thea

d red

horse

Redh

orse

White

suck

erNo

rther

n Hog

sucker

Inde

term

inate su

cker

Blue s

ucke

rCh

ubsu

ckers

Black bu

llhea

dBr

own b

ullhe

adYe

llow

bullh

ead

Bullh

ead

Chan

nel c

atfis

hBlu

e catfis

hCh

anne

l/blue

catfi

shCa

tfish

Flathea

d catfis

hMa

dtom

Stone

cat

Tadp

ole m

adtom

Inde

term

inate ca

tfish

Larg

emou

th ba

ssSm

allmo

uth b

ass

Bass

Blueg

illPu

mpkin

seed

/Red

ear s

unfis

hOr

ange

spotted s

unfis

hGr

een s

unfis

hSu

nfish

Rock

bass

Stripe

d bas

sWh

ite cr

appie

Black cr

appie

Crap

pieInde

term

inate su

nfish

Yello

w pe

rchMi

nnow

Shine

rBo

wfin

Long

nose

gar

Shor

tnos

e gar

Spotted g

ar Gar

Padd

lefish

Fres

hwater dr

umGr

ass p

ickerel

North

ern p

ike Pike

Gizz

ard s

had

White

/yell

ow ba

ssSa

uger/w

alley

e

Liverpool LakeRenchNewbridgeKoster XI

Nominal Data for Fish AssemblagesNominal Data for Fish Assemblages::Koster XI (8000bp), Newbridge (1500bp), Rench (1500bp), & Koster XI (8000bp), Newbridge (1500bp), Rench (1500bp), &

Liverpool Lake (1100bp)Liverpool Lake (1100bp)

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Sturg

eon

Bigmo

uth b

uffalo

Black/sm

allmo

uth b

uffalo

Bu

ffalo

Buffa

lo/ca

rpsu

cker

Carp

suck

er

River re

dhorse

Silve

r red

horse

Black re

dhorse

Golde

n red

horse

Shor

thea

d red

horse

Redh

orse

White

suck

erNo

rther

n Hog

sucker

Inde

term

inate su

cker

Blue s

ucke

rCh

ubsu

ckers

Black bu

llhea

dBr

own b

ullhe

adYe

llow

bullh

ead

Bullh

ead

Chan

nel c

atfis

hBlu

e catfis

hCh

anne

l/blue

catfi

shCa

tfish

Flathea

d catfis

hMa

dtom

Stone

cat

Tadp

ole m

adtom

Inde

term

inate ca

tfish

Larg

emou

th ba

ssSm

allmo

uth b

ass

Bass

Blueg

illPu

mpkin

seed

/Red

ear s

unfis

hOr

ange

spotted s

unfis

hGr

een s

unfis

hSu

nfish

Rock

bass

Stripe

d bas

sWh

ite cr

appie

Black cr

appie

Crap

pieInde

term

inate su

nfish

Yello

w pe

rchMi

nnow

Shine

rBo

wfin

Long

nose

gar

Shor

tnos

e gar

Spotted g

ar Gar

Padd

lefish

Fres

hwater dr

umGr

ass p

ickerel

North

ern p

ike Pike

Gizz

ard s

had

White

/yell

ow ba

ssSa

uger/w

alley

e

Liverpool LakeRenchNewbridgeKoster XI

Proportional data for Fish AssemblagesProportional data for Fish Assemblages::Koster XI (8000bp), Newbridge (1500bp), Rench (1500bp), & Koster XI (8000bp), Newbridge (1500bp), Rench (1500bp), &

Liverpool Lake (1100bp)Liverpool Lake (1100bp)

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Rank Based on Percent of MNIRank Based on Percent of MNI

Koster XI8000 bp

Newbridge1500 bp

Rench1500 bp

Liverpool Lake

1100 bp

Indeterminate catfish (50%) 1

Black bullhead (21%) 1

Freshwater drum (15%) 1 Bowfin (22%) 1

Catfish (15%) 2 Sunfish (10%) 2Channel catfish/blue catfish (9%) 2

Brown bullhead (12%) 2

Minnow (9%) 3 Bowfin (10%) 3 Bowfin (8%) 3Largemouth bass (10%) 3

Indeterminate sucker (7%) 4

Yellow bullhead (10%) 4 Northern pike (5%) 4 Gar (9%) 4

Gar (6%) 5Channel catfish (9%) 5 Buffalo (5%) 5 Sunfish (5%) 5

Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Can Archaeology Inform Wetland Restoration and Management?Restoration and Management?

• ConclusionsConclusions– Nominally, the archaeologically recovered fish Nominally, the archaeologically recovered fish

assemblages provide general information about past assemblages provide general information about past ecosystemsecosystems

– Proportional data provides cultural and ecosystem Proportional data provides cultural and ecosystem information, but it is difficult to tease-out meaning, information, but it is difficult to tease-out meaning, respectivelyrespectively

– Archaeological data contributes valuable perspective on Archaeological data contributes valuable perspective on wetland restoration and management wetland restoration and management