Man's Best Friend

Dogs have long been considered "Man's Best Friend," with their partnership with humans dating back thousands of years. The oldest domesticated dog remains in North America, found at the Koster Site in Illinois, were buried alongside humans around 8,500 years ago.

Lawrence County's archaeological history stretches from before the Paleoindian era (ca 12,000–10,500 BC) to early nineteenth-century Euro-American settlement. Were there any dogs in OUR early history?

Our friends from the Central Wabash Archaeology Chapter at Robinson provided proof of dog burials in this area.

Because of surveys taken in the 1960s, archaeologists were able to locate numerous examples of the circular LaMotte villages around present day Lawrenceville and for an unknown distance up the Embarrass drainage areas where small tributaries cut through open wooded areas on edges of vast expanses of prairie grass.

The Allison-LaMotte Culture appeared during the later portion of the Woodland period, before AD 400 and persisted until AD 1000, with the possibility of some overlap with the Mississippian culture. These people farmed maize extensively, conducted long-distance trade and built earthen flat- topped mounds.

Their villages had a decided prairie orientation, with village size varying ranging from five to ten acres in total. The village plan was uniform consisting of a circular central plaza surrounded by a circle of houses. Near some of the villages were groups of small conical mounds.

When the Roy Morris site was excavated and analyzed within the boundaries of Palestine, Illinois in 1969, dog burial pits were found.  There is no doubt that dogs were highly prized by the Lamotte people.

  A 1972 excavation unearthed a dog having been buried within a small double walled structure and having a toy placed under the jaw in the neck region. 

If you are intereted in the Native American cultures that populated this area, check out the Central Wabash Archaeology Museum located at 408 South Cross Street Robinson, IL 62454. Tuesday 10-12 and Saturday 10-12. Closed during months of December and January. Appointments may be made to visit additional times by calling 618-553-1842.