Archaeology of Madison County: Introduction
Changing Times
Long before archaeology was a science and museums were assembled to display humanity’s treasures, the only way artifacts were available to enjoy was through collecting them for your own collection. Collecting was a pastime of many wealthy, aristocratic, educated men who would buy artifacts from many different types of vendors to then proudly display in their personal cabinets of curiosities. As time went on this practice changed, museums were created, excavations became standardized, and humanity’s treasures and histories were put into context to better understand the people and cultures before our present day. It was a long path, and it is still transitioning, but that story can be seen here through the collections and stories of these three Madison County citizens.
John R. Sutter
John R. Sutter (born August 12, 1856 — died October 1, 1941) was an educated man of wealth, power, and influence who left his mark in Madison County through his community engagement and family. He was born and raised here in Edwardsville, Illinois. The house he was born in still stands in Edwardsville today. As a young man and through most of his life, his career was mainly in the newspaper business.
He worked for different local newspapers such as The Madison Count Bate, The Edwardsville Republican, The Edwardsville Intelligencer, and The Democrat. While performing his duties, he traveled the country to research, report, and print the stories for the papers.
He married Emma Ritter and had one son, Dr. John Sutter. Late in life, John Sutter, Sr. made a career shift into real estate. In his personal life, Mr. Sutter was an avid avocational archaeologist who amassed an archaeology collection through excavation and purchase.
Sutter's Inspiration
Born in Madison County on August 12, 1856, John Sutter was a vital citizen of Madison County until his eventual death due to old age on October 1, 1941. Mr. Sutter left his mark on Madison County archaeology through his lifelong passion for collecting artifacts. Although he collected artifacts from all over North America, it all started with one small white arrowhead that he found peeking out of the ground in Madison County.
Sutter's Collection
John Sutter collected more than 3,000 Native American artifacts. Most of these are utilitarian, but there are also some items that are ceremonial, unique, or rare. He purchased a large portion of his collection from the Ramey family who lived on top of Monks Mound, the main architectural structure of Cahokia Mounds. Mr. Sutter donated the majority of his collection to the Madison County Historical Society, so they now remain at the Madison County Historical Museum for the public to learn and enjoy.
Selections from the Sutter Collection
Raymond P. Smith
Not much is known about Raymond Smith (died October 1990). He is a mystery man, but we do know of his service in the U.S. Navy. He grew up in Illinois and spent most of his adult life in Madison County.
Although information on the details of Mr. Smith's life, family, and career are scarce, we can learn some solid facts about his interests and hobbies through his archaeology collection in the Madison County Historical Museum.
As an archaeology enthusiast and hobbyist, Mr. Smith shared his collection with his friends and family, but he did not make it public during his lifetime.
Smith's Inspiration
Mr. Smith's interest in artifacts started out like many others, by walking up and down plowed farm fields and creek beds. By doing so he found many Native American artifacts, which made his collecting hobby thrive. This stone axe (below) is a very common tool to find because stone is a durable material that can survive a lot of weathering. Such a perfect stone axe might spark his lifelong interest in archaeology due to its beautiful form and easily identifiable use.
Smith's Collection
Raymond Smith's collection is large, but with only 327 items it is not nearly the same volume as John Sutter's 3,000. The bulk of Mr. Smith's collection consists of tools that prehistoric Madison County Native Americans used for everyday tasks. During his lifetime, he could find these types of artifacts in fields and areas of open earth throughout Madison County.
Selections from the Gehring Site
Selections from the Smith Collection
Dr. Julie Zimmermann
Dr. Zimmermann (born Sept. 1968) is a witty woman who is inspiring — a successful professional archaeologist — and an admired professor. She was born in Barnhart, Missouri, and lived there until she earned a scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis. This opportunity opened up an academic route for her to pursue.
At Washington University, she completed her undergraduate studies in Anthropology focusing in Archaeology. During her first field school in 1987 she became hooked on the dig. As Dr. Zimmermann's professional career blossomed, she worked on many different sites in the Midwest and along the East Coast. However, the bulk of her work has been here in Madison County.
Today she is an anthropology professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) where she conducts the archaeological field school at the Gehring site.
Neither Dr. Zimmermann, nor her family, have ever participated in artifact collecting. However, at SIUE she keeps a comparative collection of animal bones. Dr. Zimmermann's specialty in archaeology is zooarchaeology, which means she is an expert at identifying prehistoric animal bones. Using the comparative method, she uses her bone collection to identify bones found in excavations. Her collection is relatively small in comparison to John Sutter's and Raymond Smith's, but it serves a scientific purpose for teaching and research rather than one of personal enjoyment.
Zimmermann's Inspiration
Dr. Zimmermann is a little atypical when it comes to filling the stereotype of an archaeologist. She was not inspired by an artifact or collecting. Instead, reading books and a desire to understand the deeper questions of human history lured her to archaeology. At the age of thirteen Dr. Zimmermann read a book, The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier (1969). It was about people and places in a different land and an earlier time. From there her curiosity only grew.
The Gehring Site
In 2013 the Gehring site was in the process of a full excavation on the SIUE campus when Feature 203 was unearthed. In 21st century excavation sites the finds are very commonly in broken pieces. While there remain very few intact arrow points to be found, scientific archaeologists gather the little bits of them and shattered ceramics and assemble them to form a clearer picture. But there was one item in Feature 203 that was astounding — a small figurine!
21st Century Collecting
In the 21st century archaeology is a standardized science of excavating and interpreting the past through the cultural materials that are left behind. The only way to understand and interpret the archaeological record is to gather the artifacts while they are in their original place and position. This is a science of measurement, mapping, analysis, and just plain hard work. It is not quite as glamorous as the Indiana Jones movies make it out to be, but exciting nonetheless.
Archaeology is an ongoing science and the work is never completely finished. What we gain on each excavation only adds to a much larger piece of the puzzle. The figurine found in the Gehring Site Feature 203 is an example of that. Right now, this figurine is undergoing additional research at SIUE to determine its significance and its relation to the people who created it. Every other field season there is a dig right here in Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois, where students who are interested in archaeology get their first try at excavating, screening dirt and mapping a feature. It is a continuous process that everyone is welcome to join. You can help reveal the deeply buried secrets; because — it's your history too!
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