The
LIVING MUSEUM
Vol. XV OCTOBER, 1953 No. 6
Devoted to a better understanding of living things and fine surroundings in which we live
MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI MAN—by Art Sieving
THE ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM
Fifth Floor of the Centennial Building
Springfield, Illinois, State Capitol Group
ALWAYS FREE
Hours: Daily, 8:30 to 5. Sundays, 2 to 5 p. m.
Open every day except New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Dept. of Registration and Education
State of Illinois
Hon. Vera M. Binks, Director
Hon. William G. Stratton, Governor
Museum Board of Advisers
Hon. Vincent Y. Dallman, Chairman
Editor, Illinois State Register, Springfield
Hon. Robt. H. Becker, Outdoor Editor
Chicago Tribune, Chicago
M. M. Leighton, Ph.D., Chief
State Geological Survey, Urbana
Virginia S. Eifert, Editor
Thorne Deuel, Museum Director
(Printed by authority of the State of Illinois)
- Illinois Fashions a Thousand Years Ago 418
- Scalamandre Textiles in the Art Gallery 420
- The Badger, Master Excavator 421
- Science Adventure Program for School Age Young People 423
- The Program 423
- Three Rivers South by Eifert: A Review 424
ILLINOIS FASHIONS A THOUSAND YEARS AGO
by Melvin Fowler, Curator of Anthropology
Museum visitors often wonderabout the appearance of the prehistoricpeoples of Illinois, but picturesof unearthed skeletons andpieces of aboriginal jewelry in museumcases do not wholly satisfythis interest. Anthropologists alsoare deeply concerned with ancientfashions of dress, yet remains orevidence of garments, cloth, andhair styles seldom come to light.True, anthropologists are able todetermine something from beads,ear ornaments, and bracelets foundwith the dead in graves, and the relationshipof these objects to theskeleton sometimes gives cluesabout the uses of the objects. Forinstance, it is a fair presumptionthat disc-shaped ornaments foundnear the ear region of a skull wereear pendants or decorations.
Occasionally, however, small clayfigures are found which give considerableinformation on the dressand appearance of prehistoric Illinoisians.The purposes for whichthese statuettes were made by theIndians is not known; they oftendepict human beings, their clothing,and ornaments. Some are madeof clay, others are carved of stone.In addition to statuettes, sculpturesare sometimes added as decorationon pottery vessels and inmodeling smoking pipes.
Recently a study has been m