The analysis of materials recovered from salvage excavations at the Lamb site (11SC24) in the central Illinois River valley (CIRV) has generated new insight into the Mississippianization of west-central Illinois. The evidence reveals a context of converging but still very much entangled Woodland and Mississippian traditions. The Lamb site residents appear to have been selectively adopting or emulating aspects of Mississippian lifeways, while maintaining certain Bauer Branch traditions during the period of contact with Cahokia Mississippians.