Center for American Archeology, or CAA, is an is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 research and education institution nestled along the banks of the Illinois River in scenic Calhoun County in Kampsville, Illinois dedicated to the culture of prehistoric Native Americans. 501(c)(3) is the type of non-profit organization that is dominant in the United States. ... This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... A Hupa man. ...

Founded on what is often referred to as the "Nile of North America," the region surrounding the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Illinois River, the Center for American Archeology specializes in North American pre-Columbian cultures of the area, which is particularly rich in Woodland Period, especially Middle Woodland Hopewell culture, and Mississippian culture artifacts. The center is located about 90 minutes from the Cahokia mounds of Cahokia, Illinois. The Nile (Arabic: ‎, translit: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river—though not the most voluminous—on Earth. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ... The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures lasted roughly from 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. The term Woodland was coined in the 1930s and refers to prehistoric sites between the Archaic period and the Mississippian cultures. ... Hopewell culture is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourish along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BC to 400 A.D. At its greatest extent, Hopewell culture stretched from western New York to Missouri and from Wisconsin to... The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 900 to 1500 CE, varying regionally. ... Cahokia is the site of an ancient Native American city near Collinsville, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. ... Cahokia is a village located in St. ...

Their website can be found at [1]

Taken from [2] :

Originally formed in 1953, the CAA's mission is to discover and disseminate the unwritten story of earlier Americans' lifeways, accomplishments, and changing natural environment. Through integrated programs of archeological investigation, educational outreach and cultural stewardship, the CAA strives to accomplish this mission.

From 1968-1979, the CAA and Northwestern University conducted investigations at the Koster Site in Greene County, Illinois. This location was home to many communities over 10,000 years of human occupation recorded at the site, with at least 26 separate living Horizon (archaeological) defined. Major villages were present at Koster ca. 3300, 5000, and 6600 BC. Archeologists found evidence of the earliest house structures in North America, one of the earliest domesticated dog burials in the new world (5000 BC), millions of artifacts, and evidence of extensive trade networks that stretched from Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The Koster Site set the standard for multidisciplinary archeological investigation, and reshaped how archeologists have come to understand the lifeways of the prehistoric peoples of North America. Thousands of professional and avocational archeologists worldwide consider their time spent in a Koster Site field school to be a formative experience. It has been suggested that Freshman urban program be merged into this article or section. ... Greene County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ... An Archaeological horizon is a layer of archaeological deposition. ... A village is a human settlement commonly found in rural areas. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora. ... Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Hundreds of visitors to the CAA continue to visit the Koster Site yearly, and enjoy tours of the adjacent Koster South Site. Archeologists are still learning about the prehistory of the Lower Illinois River Valley. Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. ...

The Kamp Store is the CAA's Visitor’s Center & Museum. It is a converted early 1900s mercantile building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nations prosperity depended upon its supply of gold and silver, that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

Information about Programs, Visitor Information and Membership can be found at [3], [4] and [5], respectively.

Further information can be found by contacting the center at:

The Center for American Archeology P. O. Box 366 Kampsville, IL 62053 Phone: (618) 653 - 4316 Fax: (618) 653 - 4232 Email: caa@caa-archeology.org