A Road Scholar program by Michael D. Wiant

This image and lecture presentation explores the rise and fall of an ancient civilization in Illinois’ past. Around 200 B.C., Native Americans developed a new way of life archaeologists call Hopewell – based on their discoveries at a farm of the same name near present-day Chillicothe, Ohio. At about the same time, Native peoples living in Illinois also adopted new ways of life including moundbuilding, long-distance trade, and the production of an extraordinary variety of objects made from exotic materials such as copper, marine shell, animal bone, and stone. Join Mike Wiant in this discussion of the rich history of the Hopewell culture in Illinois, as preserved in the stories their objects tell.

For more information contact Pat Sullivan, 217.322.2865.