A brief summary of French domestic site archaeology in Illinois, 1730-1800

The actual French settlement of Illinois began long after the arrival of the first French traders, explorers, and priests. To date, archaeological projects have investigated 10 eighteenth-century French domestic sites in Illinois, all of which postdate 1730 and most of which also straddle the British and early American periods. Six of those sites have been investigated in the last 10 years, and these recent studies have produced some of our most significant feature and artifact samples to date. Presented below is a summary of the general character of French domestic sites in Illinois.