Special Exhibit at the Des Plaines History Center: Illinois State Archaeological Survey Deep Roots

DES PLAINES, IL January 5, 2026 — A traveling exhibit from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) titled Illinois Archaeology: The Deep Roots of the Prairie State is being hosted for the first time in this area by the Des Plaines History Center. The exhibit opens on Wednesday, January 14 and runs through Thursday, February 19, 2026. It is open to the public on weekdays, noon to 4:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.

This unique exhibit features dozens of artifacts, and explores where and how people have lived in Illinois for the last 12,500 years. It examines the archaeological evidence and what it reveals about how factors such as climate change and new technology altered the way people lived.

A special Coffee Talk, presented by Clare Tolmie from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, will be held at the History Center on Wednesday, January 21, at 1:30 p.m. Registration is required: reserve seats by emailing contact@desplaineshistory.org or calling 847-391-5399. Coffee Talks are always free for History Center members. Nonmembers are $10.

“Deep Roots of the Prairie State” begins with the arrival of Illinois’ first residents, who came as the Ice Age’s glaciers retreated northward. Over time, populations increased and people began to spread across the state. Where and how they lived went hand in hand with their inventions like the adze, earth ovens, ceramic technology, and agriculture. The arrival of the French and other Europeans in Illinois had profound effects on Native American lifeways. The exhibit concludes with the arrival of Euro-Americans and the forced removal of the Native Nations that had called Illinois home for millennia. This section includes an interesting examination of a group of artifacts that may be from the home of an enslaved African American man living on the Jackson and Perry County line in the mid-to-late 1810s.

The traveling exhibit was produced by the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, which is one of five scientific surveys that make up the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois. The Prairie Research Institute unites scientific expertise in geology, ecology and biodiversity, archaeology, hydrology and water, weather and climate, pollution prevention, and sustainable energy to benefit the people, economy, and environment of Illinois, the nation, and the world. The traveling exhibit is a companion to the book Archaeology of Illinois: The Deep History of the Prairie State, which was published by the ISAS in June 2025.

The Des Plaines History Center is a local museum and education center. It collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Des Plaines and provides access to those resources through exhibits, educational programs, and research facilities. Many of the programs and events are free for families, children, and adults. Membership is encouraged to help sustain the work. More information about the Education Center and the Kinder House Museum is available at www.DesPlainesHistory.org.