Publications

Wisconsin Early Indian Cultures Poster Set

September 1997
Three 4-color posters, rolled in a tube   24" x 38"
ISBN 0-87020-298-7    Paper    $24.95

Have you ever tried to picture how the first people in Wisconsin lived? What were their homes like? What kinds of food did they eat? What types of tools and weapons did they use?

This set of three 24" x 38" full-color posters pulls together modern archaeological findings in an attempt to reconstruct the lives of those who lived on Wisconsin soil thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Original watercolor illustrations by artist Phoebe Hefko, who worked closely with archaeologists and educators at the State Historical Society, present a vivid portrait of Wisconsin's earliest inhabitants and the ways they responded to periods of drastic climate change and the influx of new peoples with new ideas.

The first poster depicts the lifeways of Wisconsin's earliest known inhabitants, known today as the Paleo-Indians. Traveling great distances in the wake of the great wooly mammoths, these nomadic people left behind distinctive stone spearpoints that allow today's archaeologists to identify them.

The second poster illustrates the lifeways of early Indian residents during the Archaic Period, depicting the lead weapons and jewelry they created and the shelters they built.

The third poster compares the Woodland, the Mississippian, and the Oneota cultures that, for a time, overlapped during the last centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Depending on where they lived and the traditions of the group, some Woodland-era people developed gardens of corn, beans and squash, built mounds, and crafted identifiable pottery vessels. These clues to their cultures help archaeologists understand those who lived in Wisconsin at this time.

Each poster includes a prominent time line, encouraging students to think about how these cultures relate to one another and to our present time.

Printed on heavy, coated paper, suitable for lamination, these posters make an excellent visual reference and extension to the first book in the New Badger History Series, Digging and Discovery;  with the detailed text bars that accompany each illustration, these posters can also stand on their own. The posters are sent in a sturdy mailing tube convenient for storage.