Magnetometry Survey at the Otter Pond Site (11LW9), a Vincennes Phase Town in Southeastern Illinois

The Otter Pond site (11LW9), located in Lawrence County, Illinois, is the largest Mississippian mound site attributed to the Vincennes phase. The site exhibits up to 12 mounds, a plaza, and Mississippian and Late Woodland pottery, all indicative of a sizable, multiethnic town. This poster presents the results of a 2017 magnetometry survey of Otter Pond. The survey, which covered approximately 50% of the total site area, proved that large portions of the site are still intact. It also revealed 1) dense residential clusters, 2) a complex occupational history, 3) potential status differences among residents, and 4) mound locations and orientations. This survey provided much-needed in-formation on the internal configuration of this settlement. It may also shed light into how the construction and use of space in large settlements Mississippianized local groups in southeastern Illinois from A.D. 1100 to 1400.