Kincaid Mounds Damage by Possible Looters

Southern Illinois authorities are investigating damage and possible looting to prehistoric native American sites in Massac and Pope Counties.

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency says someone dug several small holes in a portion of Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site last month. The Mounds' Support Organization President Sheila Richey says this type of damage is rare.

“We have been an organization in existence since 1998 and this is actually the second time we’ve found someone actually digging into a mound. I’m not saying people may not think they can walk the site and pick up artifacts, but you can’t do that either.”

Richey says the culprits were probably searching for items Native Americans buried with their dead at the 1,000-year-old site. She says someone recently also drove an all-terrain vehicle or truck on one of the mounds, where ATVs are prohibited.