Map of Illinois showing locations of Late Prehistoric sites.

Where did Protohistoric people live? Along the central stretch of the Illinois River, Protohistoric Oneota sites are found at the edge of the bluff overlooking the river flood plain. Near East St. Louis, Oneota artifacts are found at sites in the Mississippi River flood plain. Caborn-Welborn sites are found along the Ohio River, often on ridges in the flood plain.

What would you see if you walked into a Protohistoric village? The Morton site in Fulton County consisted of a small but concentrated village of thatched houses and with a cemetery nearby. Several plant food storage pits were associated with each house. The cemetery was a low oval mound overlooking the Illinois River valley. No temple mound and possibly no plaza were present. Perhaps 200 residents lived at the site for a period of less than 20 years.