Ice Age secrets are about to be unearthed in Central Illinois. Dr. Brooke Morgan, curator of anthropology at the Illinois State Museum, is slated to give an eye-opening talk titled "First Peoples of the Central Illinois River Valley: Colonizing an Ice Age Landscape" as part of their Illinois Archaeology Lecture Series.

Taking place this Sunday, December 17, at Dickson Mounds Museum, Morgan's lecture will delve into who was romping around the Central Illinois River Valley during the tail end of the last big freeze.

Science buffs and history hounds, get ready, because this isn't just a blast from the past. Morgan's going to break down how a mashup of earth sciences, good ol' human behavior smarts, some cultural chit-chat, and yes, even crowd-sourced data is painting a clearer picture of the first feet to tread this prehistoric turf.

Pop by the Dickson Mounds Museum auditorium at 2 p.m. and stick around for light refreshments afterward. Admission won't cost you a dime, and you don't even have to RSVP—just show up. If you're a scheduler, the Dickson Mounds Museum welcomes visitors daily, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but bookmark this lecture on your calendar; it's free edu-tainment.

Founded in 1877, the Illinois State Museum is no newcomer to showcasing the state's heritage. With roots in Springfield and branches in Lewistown and Lockport, this museum's got some serious cred with the American Alliance of Museums and sits with the big kids at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience table. Peep their website for more info at illinoisstatemuseum.org.