Archaeology Field Day set at Kincaid Mounds

A Kincaid Mounds Archaeology Field Day program is planned Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Kincaid Mounds Historic Site in Massac County.

Formal programs are scheduled during the field day.

A presentation is planned at 10 a.m. by Dr. Paul Welch, chair and associate professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

A second presentation is scheduled at 1 p.m. by Dr. Brian M. Butler, who is retired from the SIUC  Department of Anthropology and Center for Archaeological Investigation. Butler also is a member of the Kincaid Mounds Support Organization. 

An optional walking tour to Mound 8 at the site is planned. Those who want to go on the hike are advised to wear hiking shoes.

Displays of Mississippian artifacts, along with information tables, are planned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The program is free of charge. Restroom facilities will be available. Refreshments will not be sold.

The event is supported by a public amenities and event grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. 

The Kincaid Mounds Archaeological Site is a series of Mississippian Mounds located in Massac County. 

The mounds are an Illinois historic site. The site is under the management of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  

Members of the Kincaid Mounds Support Organization volunteers their services for the preservation and management of the site.  

The historic site includes the Massac County Mounds, with a public observation and interpretation area. The interpretation area has newly installed interpretive panels providing information on the historic site. 

The Kincaid Mounds are located approximately 10 miles east of Brookport,  along the Ohio River Scenic Byway.  

Organizers of the event provided the following directions to the site:

From Interstate 24, take the Metropolis/Brookport Exit, travel east on U.S. Route 45 towards Brookport and, before entering Brookport, turn left on Unionville Road.  

Go 6.25 miles through Unionville to New Cut Road.  At New Cut Road turn right (south) and travel 3.6 miles to Kincaid Mounds Road turn left (east) on Kincaid Mounds Road and go .6 of a mile to the observation platform. GPS location: 37° 4’47.10”N 88°29’25.53”W.

More information about the Kincaid Mounds Historic Site can be found at www.kincaidmounds.com and on Facebook at Kincaid Mounds Support Organization.