'Archaeology of Disaster' program at Elgin Public Museum

"The Archaeology of Disaster" will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17 at the Elgin Public Museum, 225 Grand Blvd. in Elgin's Lords Park. This event is free to the public, thanks to a grant from Illinois Humanities Council. Call (847) 741-6655 or e-mail epm@cityofelgin.org to register.

Fire, flood, famine, war, plague, earthquake - all major disasters leave distinctive signature in the archaeological record. Illinois has seen its share of all these disasters. From the New Madrid quakes of 1811/1812 that changed the very course of the Mississippi River to the Chicago Fire of 1871 to the Great Flood of 1993, Illinoisans are adapting today to events that have a history long beyond living memory.

In this presentation, Gregory Vogel explains the prehistory and history of these events as they are recorded in the archaeological and geological records and explores with the audience the lessons they may hold for us today.

Vogel holds a Ph.D from the University of Arkansas, writes a regular newspaper column, and gives monthly radio interviews on various aspects of Illinois archaeology and environmental history. For more than 18 years, he has developed numerous programs about the environments of the Lower Illinois River and has given workshops and presentations on various aspects of Illinois history, prehistory and human/environment interactions. He is currently an assistant professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.