An Examination of Unique Fisher Site Burial Lithics

The Fisher Site (11 WIS), is a well-known, but poorly reported Late Prehistoric vil-lage and mound site located on the Des Plaines River near the confluence with the Kankakee River, approximately 22 km Southwest of Joliet, Illinois. In 1898 George Langford visited the Fisher Site and in 1906, began to excavate the Mounds and portions of the village, work that continued throughout the 1920s. The University of Chicago was invited to participate in excavations and did so from 1927 and 1929. In 1940 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) joined in the excavations. These excavations uncovered and documented many unusual burials. The purpose of this poster is to showcase the unique aspects of several of the burials, including a pebble mosaic "pillow" and several groundstone "tablets" and antler cylinders. The analysis of this material raises questions regarding the visibility and recognition of such artifacts in the archaeological record.