Modoc Rock Shelter, Archaeological site near Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, US.
Modoc Rock Shelter is a prehistoric sandstone overhang in southern Illinois, sitting above the Mississippi River floodplain. The ground beneath it holds several sediment layers containing stone tools, projectile points, and bone implements left by earlier inhabitants.
The site was found in 1951 by archaeologist Irvin Peithmann, with evidence of human presence going back roughly 9000 years. Excavations uncovered four separate occupation periods from the Archaic era, each showing a shift in how people hunted and settled.
The rock overhang at Modoc shows through its exposed layers how different groups returned to the same spot over very long periods. The stone and bone tools left behind give a direct sense of what daily life looked like at this place.
The fenced site lies southeast of Prairie du Rocher and can be visited without paying an entrance fee. The ground can be uneven, so sturdy shoes are a good idea before heading out.
The sediment layers beneath the overhang are among the deepest and most complete records from a single site in the region east of the Mississippi. This depth allowed researchers to follow changes in the way people lived over thousands of years without moving to another location.
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