by Melvin Fowler, _Curator of Anthropology_
Museum visitors often wonder about the appearance of the prehistoric
peoples of Illinois, but pictures of unearthed skeletons and pieces of
aboriginal jewelry in museum cases do not wholly satisfy this interest.
Anthropologists also are deeply concerned with ancient fashions of
dress, yet remains or evidence of garments, cloth, and hair styles
seldom come to light. True, anthropologists are able to determine
something from beads, ear ornaments, and bracelets found with the dead
in graves, and the relationship of these objects to the skeleton
sometimes gives clues about the uses of the objects. For instance, it is
a fair presumption that disc-shaped ornaments found near the ear region
of a skull were ear pendants or decorations.
Occasionally, however, small clay figures are found which give
considerable information on the dress and appearance of prehistoric
Illinoisians. The purposes for which these statuettes were made by the
Indians is not known; they often depict human beings, their clothing,
and ornaments. Some are made of clay, others are carved of stone. In
addition to statuettes, sculptures are sometimes added as decoration on
pottery vessels and in modeling smoking pipes.
Recently a study has been made of the figures and objects made by
Hopewellian peoples (who lived about 200 B.C. to 800 A.D.?) and much has
been learned about their appearance.[1] Many figures and representations
of human beings belonging to the Middle Mississippi Culture in Illinois
(1200-1600 A.D.) have also been discovered. A study is being made of
these figures at the present time to learn about Middle Mississippi
costume, research which is necessary in preparing exhibits on
Amerindians (American Indians) in the Museum and the Museumobile.
Already, much has been learned from the study of the figures available.
For example, in studying a human figure in stone from the Kincaid Site
near Brookport in Massac County, it was observed that the hair styling
which was represented consisted of three main elements: a band of some
sort around the head, hair bobbed over the ears and cut at shoulder
length behind, and an appendage or hair braid commencing on top of the
head and trailing down behind. In turning to other Middle Mississippi
figures represented in the Museum collection, several were found showing
these same characteristics.
[Illustration: _Original (right) and restored (left) Middle
Mississippi Figurine_]
One of the most interesting figures of this type is the fragmentary top
of a water bottle from Cahokia found by Mr. Gregory Perino of
Belleville, Illinois. The opening of the bottle is made where the face
of the figure would be. The hairdo is shown in detail, including all of
the features mentioned above except that on this figure the hair is
bobbed all around the head. The novel feature of this figure is the knot
of hair shown in detail with the attached appendage indicating, in this
case at least, that the pendant which trails down behind is not of hair,
but something else.
When the early explorers came through the southeastern United States
they found Middle Mississippi Indians still living there. Because the
accounts of chroniclers of DeSoto’s expedition and the early French
settlers of Louisiana are especially full, we are thus able to fill in
our knowledge of the appearance of these Indians. From these sources, we
find that headbands were commonly worn and the hair was often knotted on
top of the head with “the tails of animals or their entire skins
fastened to the hair....”[2]
Putting these fragments of evidence together, we have been able to
construct a figure representing a Middle Mississippi man. The hair
styling consists of the main features shown in the statuettes and
figures. The head band is decorated with a circle and cross, a design
found painted on Middle Mississippi pottery and engraved on pendants. A
coon tail is attached to the hairknot on the crown of the head. In the
man’s hand is a string of cut shell beads to which is attached a gorget
(breast ornament) made of sea shell. At his side is a robe made of
turkey feathers.
By these means we can at last answer the Museum visitor’s and the
anthropologist’s questions, “How did they look?”—“How did Middle
Mississippi people dress?”