The long lives of ancestors: decolonizing bioarchaeology in Illinois

The Rose Mound Group and Hagans Mound Group are Indigenous Ancestral mortuary sites located along the western bluffs of the Illinois River valley. The Rose Mound Group is a multi-component site with burials indicating temporal affiliation with the Late Archaic (3650–800 cal. B.C.E.), Late Woodland (A.D. 400–1100), and Mississippian (A.D. 1100–1450) periods. While the Hagans Mound Group is associated with only the Late Woodland period (A.D. 400–1100). Today, both Mound Groups are located on private property and have been severely damaged by agriculture, looting, and archaeological excavation. The Mounds were partially excavated in 1928 as part of the University of Illinois’ Illinois River valley survey project which was directed by Warren K. Moorehead and supervised by Jay L. B. Taylor. The Ancestors removed from the Mounds in 1928 are now hosted at three institutions in addition to the University of Illinois with their Ancestral funerary belongings located only at the University of Illinois. For the Rose Mound Group, a later amateur excavation in 1960 and salvage work in 1999 have further dispersed the original burial cohort. In this dissertation, I examine the ways archaeological and museological practices have disrupted the cultural continuity of the Ancestors from the Rose and Hagans Mound Groups. Limited excavation documentation, selective collection practices, and the dispersal of Ancestors to multiple institutions have resulted in incomplete and disjointed post-excavation histories. These incomplete collection histories and split Ancestral cohorts present a challenge for Tribes seeking the return of their Ancestors. In order to restore the social relations of Ancestors in institutional collections–relationships that include other Ancestors, funerary belongings, and descendant communities–I use archival records and osteological documentation to compile the experiences of Ancestors since being removed from the Mounds. Bioarchaeology is well situated to assist with this restorative work.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Carbaugh, Aimee E

Contributors dc:contributor

• Shackelford, Laura
• Davis, Jenny
• Lucero, Lisa
• Hedman, Kristin

• bioarchaeology
• research ethics
• Indigenous methodologies
• Illinois archaeology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Aimée E. Carbaugh

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129776

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129776