Reward offered for information about looting of prehistoric grave sites

Native American burial mounds in southern Illinois have recently been targeted

[June 07, 2008]  MASSAC COUNTY -- The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the recent looting of prehistoric Native American burial mounds in rural Massac and Pope counties.

"The criminal disturbance of these human burials in Kincaid Mounds is unconscionable," said Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Director Jan Grimes. "I hope this reward, which is authorized by state law, will help us apprehend those who are responsible and serve as a deterrent to others who may be considering the desecration of our state's heritage."

Individuals have recently dug three holes, each several feet wide and deep, into the side of a prehistoric mound at Kincaid Mounds. Two of the holes were in locations where looters struck last year, leading authorities to believe the same individuals may be involved in this year's looting. The holes will be filled in. Authorities are uncertain if any artifacts or human remains were removed. The site was posted with "No Trespassing" signs at the time the incidents occurred, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is now exploring the possibility of installing security devices at Kincaid Mounds.

Since the crimes involved a prehistoric mound on state-owned property, two state laws apply: the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act (20 ILCS 3440) and the Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act (20 ILCS 3435). Violations of either of these laws is a Class A misdemeanor, and the penalties could include a fine of up to $10,000 and up to one year in jail, plus forfeiture of all equipment, including vehicles, used in the crime, and payment for all costs to restore damages. A Class 4 felony can also occur when a burial is disturbed on public property, as in this case. A Class 4 felony can result in fines up to $25,000 and incarceration for one to three years.

Anyone with information on the Kincaid Mounds looting is urged to call the Massac County Sheriff's Department at 618-524-2912 or the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency at 217-558-8973.

Kincaid Mounds is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark archaeological site. Kincaid Mounds is important because it was one of two major political centers of the Mississippian period (ca. A.D. 1000-1450) in the lower Ohio River Valley. It was also the earliest area in southern Illinois to develop intensive, large-scale agriculture. Kincaid Mounds is split by the Massac-Pope County line and consists of nine mounds, including burial mounds and large platform mounds, and portions of a village site. This region in southern Illinois is known as the Black Bottom and has a long history of occupation, ranging from the Late Archaic through the Mississippian periods (ca. 2000 B.C. to A.D. 1450).

Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site is owned by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and managed by the Kincaid Mounds Support Organization, a local nonprofit group.

[Text from Illinois Historic Preservation Agency news release received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]