Who out there amongst us all has not at one time or another been seduced by the whole idea of being one of the swashbuckling, heroic figures of pirates that we saw in movies and books? Oh, yes, and oh those visions of fabulous, legendary treasure chests filled to the brim and overflowing with jewels and golden doubloons!

Turns out it's these allusions and fabrications of the truth that have held back serious archaeological inquiry in this subject. Who among professional archaeologists would sacrifice their careers to work with treasure hunters and other entrpreneurs seeking only wealth from pirate bounty? The editor's point out that this is one reason little research has been done on pirates.

Then too, who are these pirates, for that matter, what is a pirate really? Many captains had a license to steal, were official privateers hired by nations to pillage enemy ships--- should, they too, be seen as pirates?

X Marks The Spot is a collection of serious research publications which eliminates some of the stereotypes and seeks to answer some of the more nagging questions about pirates and pirate lore.

"The organization of this book is based on two different approaches: method and theory. The first approach -- method-- has to do with how pirate sites were found and identified. This part has been broken down into Pirate Lairs (terrestrial sites) and Pirate Ships and Their Prey (underwater sites)... The second section of the book begins with a wreck that is not well known to English-speaking audiences... and continues with one of the more notoriuos archaeological projects, the excavation of the ship, Whydah." The Whydah project became bogged down with argument regarding the collaboration of professionals with treasure seekers, and rarely has the public gotten to read the actual research paper promulgated from the real work!

Reading this book is a real pleasure. The reader unused to digesting professional publications will, pardon the pun, sail through this book as if it were a collection of novellas! Not only will he/she learn about the realities of trade in the Caribbean and politics in the time of pirates, but will be treated to the most interesting bits of ephemera such as an inventory of the legendary Captain Morgan's estate. Many of the region's most colorful characters are explored in depth, and in light of recent excavations, we are informed of new facts gleaned from the latest research.

In addition, the latest strategies and workings of underwater excavation, a most exciting field, are explained in great detail.

The final chapter "Pirates in Fact and Fiction" will fascinate you as it fills in a true picture of who real pirates really were, and how they really lived. The bibliography/reference section will keep the astute researcher busy for years.

This is the definitive book on Pirates and the research being done to dispel  all of the fables, thus painting a truer picture of these most interesting historical figures.

X Marks The Spot can be ordered directly from the publisher, for $55.00, by clicking here. The book is part of a series called "New Perspectives on Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology". A link to the other books in the series is thoughtfully provided.
 

I took this book to a nicely rugged park near my home and read the whole thing in one sitting. Here's the true adventure of three friends, all experienced climbers, attempting to do something no one else had done before: Backpack the entire 100 mile length of an imposing geological anomaly, Comb Ridge, which runs from deep in Navaho Country northward to Utah. Sandstone Spine is a book about a hike, and perhaps more importantly, a story about three friends who love the land and respect the ancient ones who once lived there.

Aside from all of the work that went into caching water supplies and strategizing the route to be taken, we learn a great deal about the trio as they wend their way through their journey. Their spats about which way to go, water supplies, and other ephemeral issues serve to flesh out the book, blend in well with the author's sharp eye for emotional as well as literal detail when they discover new ruins or petroglyph walls. You feel like you know these guys, and it lends to the overall feeling of the book. 

They meet many isolated Navahos on their trek, and the author never lets you forget when the troupe is on Navaho land. He uses every opportunity to explain the cultural intricacies of the area. The book is a whisk through the known archaeology of the area, with important points repeated occasionaly for emphasis.

Perhaps my favorite theme, which occurs throughout the book, is "the outdoor museum", where, despite the fierce competition among the group to find artifacts and ruins, nothing is taken away from the site where it is found. Anything handled is placed back in the exact spot in which it was found. In some cases, they even left notes imploring others to respect the outdoor museum idea: The entire area is a museum of how the ancients lived and should be left alone, preserved until we understand more. The author never really reveals the locations of sites they found.

The photographs are fantastic and leave you wanting more of them. This would be a "coffee table" book I would buy! 

I'd buy this one, too, and I'm keeping an eye out for Robert's In Search Of The Old Ones, another tale of his exploration of Anasazi ruins.

Sandstone Spine,  which sells for $24.95, can be ordered direct from the publisher, The Mountaineers Books, by clicking here. 
 

This important volume is composed of papers presented at a major conference hosted by the Center for American Archaeology concerning "Perspectives on Middle Woodland In The Millennium" held in June, 2000. The conference generated many interesting papers, but at the time, there was not enough funding to publish the presentations and hold the conference. Since the presentations were groundbreaking and "out of the Middle Woodland box," the editors pressed forward with plans to later publish most, but not all, of them in one volume. This book is the result of that effort: The first such publication about Hopewell in over 25 years.

The volume is broken up into four sections that include: Hopewell in Ohio, Hopewell/Middle Woodland outside Ohio, New Approaches to Hopewell Material Culture, and Recreating Hopewell Commentaries. Within each section are publications that illuminate the topic and overall cover the work of scholars and archaeologists across Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia. What's interesting is that what evolves is a Hopewell culture with considerable differences in culture across the states represented. We see Hopewell as a diverse culture.

Every imaginable facet of Hopewell life is examined in some detail. Settlement patterns and the use and layout of Hopewell communities are discussed at length. How communities sustained themselves, and the efficiency of Hopewell communities are also iterated with a profusion of charts, graphs and drawings. Death rituals,  lithic production, community interaction: There simply is nothing left out here, and the serious scholar of Hopewell life will find a veritable treasure chest of references to use in their work. This book will be referenced for some time to come as it considerably broadens the context of Hopewell life from what was previously understood.

If you are interested in this great, ancient American civilisation,  this book is a must-buy for your library! Recreating Hopewell sells for $75.00 and can be ordered direct from the publisher by clicking here.
 

The famous Nasca lines in Peru have been the subject of many a book over the years, but none as interesting as Aveni's title.  In explaining his theories of why the lines were made, the author takes us on a global tour of monumental sites across history and the globe. Recounting sites which over the years have been called "wonders of the world," Aveni brings the enigmatic lines into the sphere of the most wonderous creations of humanity.

The author, an astronomer, tells us of his journey into the world of archaeoastromomy (he is a recognised pioneer in this field), and how he became interested in ancient buildings which act as pointers to important astronomical events critical to ancient societies. Perhaps it was inevitable that he would, sooner or later, become involved in the investigation of the Nasca lines. 

The lines have an interesting history--- ignored by most archaeologists, and burdened by explanations Aveni felt had not been either thoroughly thought-out or poorly researched, he quickly became hooked and spent years walking evey inch of the Peruvian pampas looking for a more logical rationale for their existence.

We are presented with a most wonderful adventure! Aveni focuses on the idea that to really understand the lines, investigators needed to change their basic point of view--- it is impossible, Aveni writes, to explain a phenomenon like the lines while looking at them from a modern perspective. He felt that while the lines were possibly tied to astronomical events, that their function would be most likely found by studying the anthropology of the Nasca ancients to see how their society's structure would allow for the creation and function of the lines.

And so, Aveni articulates the entire history of the region, cleverly, I might add, taking the reader through a well-woven, well thought out summary of events which focus not only his approach, but the ideas of other researchers throughout the ages. Aveni shows the reader how multiple sources of information can provide the little clues a researcher needs to find a new thread of inquiry, as well as how they can be used to debunk previously accepted broad conclusions.

Aveni articulates the unique social structure of the ancient Peruvian and Inca cultures, one based upon a radial concept, called the ceque system--- lines! Community projects shared by creating radial zones based upon bloodlines and craft begin to indicate completely new viewpoints of why the Nasca lines exist, and how they were used. The author then shows us how he proved his assertions through well-written and illustrated summaries of his work which countered the most prevalent astronomical explanations.

Quite simply put, this is the definitive book on the Nasca lines and a must-read for those who have been fascinated by this true "wonder of the world."

This excellent book, which usually retails for $39.95, can be ordered direct from the publisher at a discounted price of $26.77 by clicking here.
 

This re-release in paperback of the The Caddo Nation is an important contribution to understanding this Indian society at the cusp of the historic period and its transformation.  It presents “…through archaeological, historical, ethnographic and archival means the nature of contact and interaction between the Caddoan Indian peoples of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas and Europeans ---especially the Spanish and French --- and the Euro-Americans.” 

First encounters with European cultures were not always from a point of weakness on behalf of the Caddoans.  The Spanish in Texas actively courted “the Kingdom of the Tejas” not only out of missionary zeal but as also as a hedge against French incursions from the east, while the French sought them out as fur trading partners.  As other Indian tribes found them to be a significant power in their own right, Europeans sought them as allies in bringing belligerent native peoples under control.  The importation of new diseases wrought disaster of epidemic proportions on the Caddoans, weakening and disrupting their culture.  Tribes pushed out from a new formed United States began competing for their territory, followed by white immigrants, until the waning remnants of this once powerful society were eventually consigned to the Indian country.

Pertulla does a fine job of mining the vast trove of documents produced by the Spanish, French and American dealings with the Caddo peoples and then reinforcing them with the growing literature of related archaeological findings. Caddo culture (actually composed of over 25 distinct groups) produced a particularly rich archaeology record including large farming communities, mounds, sophisticated mortuary practices which include grave goods, ceramics, and projectile points.  Commerce with the Spanish and French is particularly well documented, with lists of trade items and relative percentages presented to various local tribes included.  One can then find examples of these trade items turning up in burial grounds (much of the work was done before the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act) and extrapolations of what this implies in the interplay of transcultural relations.  The large number of maps, tables, graphs and site diagrams are all useful in explicating the nature of the works being described. 

Extensive discussions such as 18 dense pages on the “Implications and Consequences of European Acute Disease on Caddoan Populations” utilizing bioarchaeological and paleodemographic methodology are eye-opening not only in revealing the wide range of work done but in the number of questions that are then raised by the findings.  These trend of presenting further prospects for investigations in carried through in the final section, emphasizing that good archaeology should raise at least as many questions as it seeks to answer.

Though not a leisurely read, The Caddo Nation is a masterful integration of historic and archaeological archives, melding elements from both into a broader picture than either alone can present.   An appendix offers some insight into the significance of “changes in the frequency and occurrence of pottery types, design motifs and arrow point caches” in chronological sequencing, and a foreword by Thomas Hester touches on the importance of the work of avocational archaeologists in Caddoan research. This is a volume of real value to any reader seeking to better understand how archaeology, anthropology and archival research are brought together to broaden our understanding of the scope of the interaction between Indian and European cultures from initial encounters onward. 

The Caddo Nation is available in paperback for a web-special price of $13.37 from the University of Texas Press web site by clicking here, where you can also find a table of contents and excerpts from the preface and introduction. 

If you are interested in visiting a Caddoan mound you can visit Caddoan Mound State Historical Site in Cherokee County, Texas.  Several extensive Texas Beyond History articles on Caddoan history and archaeology can be found on the Upper Nasoni and Sha’chahdinnih  sites.
 
 

A critical function of archaeological research is not only to properly excavate materials from ancient sites, but to use this information to put found materials into a broader context used to define the ancient society, to determine the daily life and interactions within a culture.

Kenneth Sassaman tells us the story of the People of The Shoals, those who lived on the famous Stallings Island site, a national landmark located in the middle Savannah River 13km upstream from Augusta, Georgia. Here a complex and mysterious society lived, one which made, possibly the earliest examples of pottery in this part of the world some 5000 years ago.

Sassaman engages us with a very informal telling of all of the known research done in the area and across the southeast US, meant to introduce us to his theories of how the People of The Shoals lived, and where the idea of pottery came from or evolved from.  This kind of informal style, mixing hard data with interpretive portaits of the life of the Stallings people, is hard to put down. The amateur will be as interested in this book as the professional.

The Stallings culture was very interesting indeed, surrounding their camps with large rings of discarded shells, the uses of which have not been clearly understood until recently. Modern formal excavation soon discovered many discrepancies in both the types of projectiles and pottery sherds found. Was it possible that the Stallings culture produced pottery because of influence from other groups of people living in the area? How does one go about proving or disproving this kind of idea?

The author skillfully explores the topic, weaving a complex story of a culture engaged actively in trade with its neighbors. We learn about soapstone and its unique properties when used to heat water or in other cooking activities. Could the changing supply of high quality soapstone have precipitated the development of pottery? How was the network of trade established and how far a distance was material imported from? How did these interactions affect the Stallings people in other facets of their life? These are some of the questions the author attempts to answer in this book.

People Of The Shoals is an engaging read, fascinating in the way the author shows how data from various digs can be pulled together to make interesting conclusions about the life of the ancients.

People of the Shoals can be ordered direct from the publisher, for $39.95, by clicking here.
 
 

The 1864 massacre in Colorado of over 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho at Sand Creek, by 750 US troops and 100-day volunteers led by Colonel John M. Chivington is among the most infamous events in the sad history of American-Indian relations.  Black Kettle’s village of 500 believed they were under the protection of federal troops, with both white flag and the American flag flying over his tent, and the slaughter was roundly condemned by a number of federal investigations over the coming years.  The federal government in 1998 authorized the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Study Act, under the auspices of the National Park Service (NPS) in anticipation of establishing a National Historic Site in recognition of the event.  But the exact location of the site of the Black Kettle’s village had been lost over the preceding 134 years, and Finding Sand Creek is the story of the ultimately successful multidisciplinary archaeological search for the site. 

Both authors are Indian War specialists and NPS employees involved in this search for Sand Creek.  Jerry Greene first “examined all known historical documents – maps, diaries, firsthand accounts by Indian and military eyewitnesses, and congressional investigative reports –  that could shed light on the massacre location…as well as the oral histories of Sand Creek descendants.”  Aerial photographs and geomorphologic studies were also pulled into play, yet it was the metal detector findings of “local artifact collectors” which pointed out most clearly that the site of the massacre was over a mile north of a monument which had previously marked the supposed site of the massacre. 

Once led to the actual site by the findings of the avocational archaeologists (as well as by the absence of significant numbers of relevant artifacts at the more southerly site) metal detectors were again the primary tool use for locating artifacts.   Spatial layout of the artifacts corresponded well to the historical record and helped determine the Site Survey to determine the location of Black Kettle’s village, the sand pits many of the inhabitants fled to in attempting to escape the slaughter, the approaches taken by Chivington’s men, and artillery locations and even lines of fire.  Examination of the artifacts themselves revealed good correlation with those expected by examination of troop munitions lists, lists of trade goods provided by Indian agents and comparison to abandoned goods found at other massacre sites. 

The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is authorized, but so far only 920 acres have been acquired, with most of the land in its boundary still state and privately owned.  Until that land is purchased and the site is established, the site of the actual massacre itself is not open to visitors.  The NPS does maintain a website for it, which can be located here.  For those interested in the archaeology studies that went are discussed in the book, the Management Docs are definitely worth a visit, with 14 lengthy PDF documents on the sites history, archaeology, legislation and other topics. 
 

Finding Sand Creek is an intriguing presentation of the practical application of archaeological principles in action, rounding out the story of Sand Creek as an example of how quickly the locality of a relatively recent, historically significant event can be lost and the process of finding it again.   It also makes clear the important role that avocational archaeologists (in the guise of “relic collectors” and metal detectors who know more about a site location than monument placing historians) can have in working together with professionals.  It can be purchased in hardcover here , from the University of Oklahoma Press, for $24.95.
 

Photography has profoundly changed the nature of how we think about the past, freezing it in images of light for the future to contemplate.  This delightful book arises from a 2003 exhibition held at the AXA Gallery in New York devoted to the role of photography of New World remnants of ancient civilization in changing concepts of the pre-European culture which gave rise to them.  Lavish duotones of ancient American ruins, from South America, Central America and the Southwest United States are chosen to illustrate how photography helped shape public perception of the past of the pre-Columbian civilizations that flourished, declined and disappeared on two continents before the European arrival. The accompanying essays provide the thousand words that prove the worth of pictures in these changing views. 

The editor, May Castleberry, leads off with an introductory overview of the growing understanding of the Americas beyond the early nineteenth century conception of “a place without a past.”  Increased public awareness of the magnificent examples of abandoned architecture was enhanced by the emergent availability of photographs lavishly illustrated travel books and magazines such as National Geographic, often contemporaneous with ongoing discoveries, such as Mesa Verde and Machu Picchu.  She also explores how the use of cameras as an art medium has broadened cultural conceptions of what these reminders of the past mean to us today. 

From the earliest days of daguerreotypes photography was utilized as a tool for documenting ancient monuments, a period of which coincided with discoveries of many Central American sites, as well as many different theories of just what these cultures meant and how they arose.  Kathleen Stewart Howe, Curator of Prints and Photographs at the University of New Mexico Art Museum, covers the ongoing use of archaeological and commercial photography of ruined Azetec and Mayan monuments in her chapter, Primordial Stones: Reading Ancient Mesoamerica.  She summarizes that, “each photographer found something different when he or she framed some scrap of a remote past.  Did they see a proud civilization, a past old beyond comprehension, the loss of spiritual communion, or the mystery of human origins?”

The second chapter is contributed by Martha Sandweiss, who has published many other works on the history of photography in the American West.  The Necessity for Ruins: Photography and Archaeology in the American Southwest opens with a chilling 1869 daguerreotype from the pioneer St Louis photographer Thomas Easterly.  It is the last of a series he made over two decades of Big Mound, one of a series of Mississippian culture earthworks that were gradually destroyed as the growing city overtook them, the artifact-filled dirt hauled off as landfill for the North Missouri Railroad.  “Like ruins, photographs allude to the passing of time and inevitably evoke a sense of loss…Ruins speak to change and decay…inviting a viewer to strain, from the evidence of what is to speculate about what was, to imagine a decayed structure whole and a part of a vibrant social world.”  This speculation, fed by military expedition, railroad and commercial photographers documenting findings in the American Southwest, reached a peak with the discovery of Mesa Verde.   The growing availability of cameras opened opportunities for an increasing number of visitors to carry back clear pictures of this most impressive of cliff dwellings and other ancient sites in the newly opened American Southwest to stimulate curiosity about the vanished cultures that gave rise to them. 

Edward Ranney, a photographer specializing in Andean archaeological sites, focuses on the history of photography of South American sites in his essay Images of a Sacred Geography,.  Its scope is broad, including 
Machu Picchu, which became world renowned within two years of it’s rediscovery due to spectacular photographs in a special issue of National Geographic, and aerial photography of Peruvian sites such as ‘the Great Wall of the Santa Valley’ and the plains of Nazca.  Art historian Georgia De Havenon closes out with extensive descriptions of the historic and archaeological aspects of the sites represented in photographs throughout the book, preceded by three full page maps of relevant locations. 

This wonderful hybrid of art book and archaeological retrospection is available in oversized hardcover through the University of New Mexico Press, here, for $29.95. 
 

With over 12,000 archaeological sites within its borders, Kansas is definitely the source of important materials for researching prehistoric and historic-era America. Also, with archaeological research booming in the past ten years, a new summary of Kansas archaeology was needed, and this book, the first such major overview in over fifty years, fills the bill.

One thing really great about the book is that discussions of complex topics are written in language all can understand. This book is meant to be read by amateurs and avocationalists as well as professional archaeologists. The editors seem particularly fond of the public's desire to learn more about the topic. In the foreword, Hoard writes of avocationalists:
"My earliest awareness of the varied and little-known prehistory of Kansas came from association, during my teenage years, with two avocational archaeologists in my hometown of Ellsworth, Kansas. Both were avid collectors, usually from the surfaces of sites in plowed fields. Later, while doing survey work, as a professional-in-training, I became aware of the widespread popularity of archaeology acoss Kansas and the tremendous resource for information on site locations on the part of interested and motivated members of the public. Most were willing to share this information, especially in return for the answers to questions on the temporal, spatial, and cultural meaning of artifacts recovered. foretunately, archaeologists at the Kansas State Historical Society who encouraged the development of the Kansas Anthropological Association Following its formation in 1955 also appreciated this trade-off."

Kansas is clearly a friend to the amateur and avocationalist archaeologist and this book is meant to answer their questions, too.

Contained in over 400 pages is every thing you ever wanted to know about nearly evey facet of research in Kansas. Edited by two of the state's top archaeologists, the book presents papers covering both High and Central Plains traditions, as well as topics synthesizing what is known about the ancient paleolithic residents of the state through to Euro-American contact in the mid-nineteenth century.

Here you will also find ethnohistories and ethnographic information about the Wichitas and the Pawnees as well as ethnobotanical and paleoethnobotanical research studies.  An extensive chapter is devoted to Kansas Lithic resources. I particularly found interesting the chapter on the little-known Kansa tribe from whom the state is named. So far, five tribes seem to be related to the Kansa linguistically (the Omaha, Ponce, Osage and Quapaw) but the Kansa record is incomplete and the author laments the fact that researchers are ignoring oral ethnographic records in favor of further linguistic studies and that "The word is mightier than the sherd."

The book is copiously illustrated with helpful maps, charts and tables. The Appendix is loaded with references that will keep the researcher busy for years.

If you are interested in the archaeology of this important region, then, get all of the facts in one place by ordering a copy of Kansas Archaeology. In fact, a good library of archaeological books would not be complete without this tome, no matter where you live. Order this fine book for $34.95 (a bargain, I think, for such a book!) direct from the publisher by clicking here.
 

Covering over 11,000 years of history and culture, The Prehistory of Missouri is the first updated compilation of Missouri archaeology in over 20 years.

“This book is about variation in the archaeological record of one geographically defined spatial unit--- the state of Missouri--- which in the global scheme of things is but one speck on a planet that has been inhabited by tool makers for at least two million years. At that scale, Missouri’s record appears small and rather insignificant….Yet hundreds of archaeologists have passed through the state during the last century and a half, and others have spent their entire careers working on this tiny piece of the earth’s archaeological record.”

And so begins a book that not only articulates what is known about Missouri archaeology, but one that takes great pains to also articulate a great deal generally about archaeology and its methods. This book is extremely well written and illustrated with over 250 line drawings and photographs. It is obvious from the style of writing and the tenor of the explorations, that the authors are all too happy to have this book in the hands of amateurs and avocationalists eager to learn more about this important region.

Keeping with the theme of variation, for each segment of history, paleoindian, archaic, etc., the authors contrast and compare findings in Missouri with those elsewhere, fitting in their region’s archaeology into the bigger picture of North American life in ancient times.

I really appreciate the chronological summaries that appear throughout the book, making it a bit easier to swallow the vast quantities of knowledge contained in this volume.  The book shows and explains how most every conclusion drawn from research was obtained. Lithic and ceramic typology is explained in depth, once again not only individually, but placed within contexts both broad and regional. If pottery is your focus of interest, the myriad types found in Missouri, and the discussions in the book will definitely be of interest to you.

It is clear here, too, that anthropology is not left out of Missouri’s prehistory. Patterns of settlement and subsistence and cultural traditions are given great weight and importance within discussions, making it clear that this is the main function of anthropology, of which archaeology is a subdiscipline.

Throughout the book, many quotes and references are made to the extensive work done in Missouri by Carl H. Chapman and his wife, Eleanor, who together edited the last four summaries of Missouri archaeology. Their book “Indians and Archaeology of Missouri” (to be reviewed elsewhere in this website) still sells well and was designed for an amateur audience. The Chapmans spent the better part of their lives investigating Missouri archaeology and the authors obviously respect their observations and conclusions. The Chapmans were putting together the 4th book of their own summary of the region when they were tragically killed in an automobile accident.

Nearly forty pages of references end this impressive book, leaving plenty of room for further inquiry. The Prehistory of Missouri is sure to be enjoyed by anyone interested in archaeology. It can be ordered direct from the publisher for $39.95 by clicking here. 
 

There are more than 18,000 archaeological sites recorded in Iowa and this is the first book in over 20 years to put them all into context and perspective.  Like many other of the major summaries of regional archaeology recently published, this volume seeks to update the broad view of Iowa archaeological knowledge in light of recent advances in theory and technology.

Also like most of the new volumes, this one is decidedly friendly to the amateur and avocationalist, opening the book with a discussion of the science of archaeology and a history of Iowa research. Subsections of the book's discussions include titles such as "Making a Living" and "Postcards from the Edge" which  makes the book a friendly read for non-professionals while still maintaining a high standard for the content.

In fact, this book is jam-packed with information about geomorphology, point typology, cultural interactions among Native societies: the entire gamut of archaeological knowledge about Iowa.

Not from Iowa myself, I was particualrly interested in the discussions of how the growing of corn changed Native society.  The evolution of pottery, always referred to as ceramics,  is also quite fascinating and will hold your attention throughout, as will the entire section on Woodland Innovations.

As one might expect for this part of the country, the rise of agriculture played a major role in evolving the huge Late Prehistoric civilisations which arose in this area. Considerable time is spent exploring this important point in Native American cultural history. There still remains mystery and much controversy surrounding the great Oneota traditions. Were they one great tribe, or seperate entities spread across a large region, yet sharing cultural traditions?

Alex is a very good writer, somehow concentrating thousands of publications into a readable, enjoyable tour through thousands of years of traditions and history. Illustrations, charts, photographs, and drawings are copious and well-chosen for their topics, some would make excellent posters for classroom use.

The last chapter concerns the important issues of stewardship and site preservation.

The nearly seventy-five page reference section is a boon to anyone hunting for research information about Iowa archaeology, which is not an easy find. Readers will also appreciate the glossary thoughtfully appending the book.

Iowa's Archaeological Past is available direct from the publisher, for $24.95, by clicking here.
 

The Mound Builders
By Henry Clyde Shetrone with a New Introduction by Bradley T. Lepper
University of Alabama Press   1930/2004 reprint       ISBN# 0-8173-8173-1  paperback

I was twelve years old and completely obsessed with the archaeology of Egypt, Greece and Rome when an uncle gifted me with copies of the original publications of these awesome books. My uncle, an avocational historian, was intent on re-focusing my interest in archaeology and these books were met with open awe on my part. I’d never realized the breadth of prehistoric American civilization!

Absolutely jam-packed with pictures, illustrations and riveting historical “first-contact” references and quotes, Sun Circles and Human Hands covers a vast area, extending westward as far as eastern Oklahoma. I do not believe, to this day, that there is any single volume of work so accessible to every audience, so easy to read and look at, so inspiring a tome about American Indians. Even today, years after reading this book, I found myself, childlike, laying on the floor, flipping randomly though the book, totally engrossed in its contents. Nothing is left out--- from pebbles and geodes, to wood artifact, flint artifacts, pottery, baskets, and all sorts of ephemeral items--- all this plus discussions of southeastern sites, travels of early visitors to the area and studies of the iconography of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Some of the artifacts pictured in this book are available nowhere else, and thus, the book transcends time and remains a valuable resource for serious research today. 

When Henry Shetrone first published The Mound Builders in 1930, people thought that the mounds were built by a race of lost giants. Shetrone’s book was one of the first of its kind available to the public which debunked the myths and introduced us all to these ancient ancestors of modern Native Americans, who, as skilled artisans and engineers built the huge mounds and massive earthworks to live upon and defend themselves. I believe, as a twelve year old, this was the longest book (at 20 chapters and nearly 500 pages) that I had ever read, and I pored over every page! Shetrone, a self educated avocationalist eventually awarded an honorary PhD in 1944, dedicated his book “to the average man and woman who, although fully awake to the human interest in their story, lack time and opportunity for digesting the rather extensive but often unavailable literature on the subject.”This book, lacking an accurate chronological framework, nonetheless represents an amazing lifetime of study and the author’s contribution to the golden age of archaeology in Ohio. By writing for a layman audience Shetrone was strongly criticized in his time. As Bradley T. Lepper writes in his introduction, “There is an unfortunate presumption that ‘real scientists’ do science; that is, they do research and write up the results for their colleagues. They do not deign to write for the uninitiated masses. Shetrone, by doing just that, and doing it quite successfully, drew increased attention to his non-academic background, allowing self-conscious (and self-righteous) “professionals”… to dismiss his real contributions to the field. And Shetrone’s contributions were considerable.”  I appreciated Lepper’s new introduction for its biography of the author. 

I give the University of Alabama Press a standing ovation for reprinting these fantastic classics of American Archaeology and invite you to not only purchase both of these books, but to be sure to peruse the entire Classics in Southeastern Archaeology Series of reprints. Buy a copy for yourself, or treat a youngster to these classics!

Order Sun Circles and Human Hands direct from the publisher, for $29.95, by clicking here.

Order The Mound Builders direct from the publisher, for $35.00, by clicking here.

Peruse the entire Classics in Southeastern Archaeology Series! All are available here. 
 

Examination of the burial remains of ancient peoples has been standard stock-and-trade in archaeology for decades. Burial sites frequently present the researcher with details of ancient life that can be found nowhere else. Insights into cosmological perspectives, religious beliefs, dietary habits and general genetic data can be illuminated through the study of burial sites. Ancient Burial Practices in the American Southwest is a collection of nine papers intended to bring together in one volume all of the current thinking relative to approaches to research, techniques and analyses as practiced by the Southwest’s most prominent archaeology, anthropology and paleopathology professionals, as well as an intriguing essay by Hopi tribal historians. Recreating cultural patterns through analysis of case studies and population analysis, we are presented with the latest information about Hohokam, Anasazi, Singua, Zuni, Mogollon and Salado cultures. The depth of information presented is vast, and top-notch.

Discussed also, are the repercussions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) relative to burial research, both by the scientific community and by Native Americans. The included essay “Hopi Perspectives on Southwestern Mortuary Practices” is interesting in that it is rare to find such essays in this type of examination. In fact, the editors of this volume do not take the usual perspective toward NAGPRA as adversarial: “One can easily argue that there have been both positive and negative effects on scientists’ abilities to learn about ‘our’ past (‘our’ being the entire human population), but clearly NAGPRA has opened the door to many positive interfaces, which have been neglected and ignored in the past, between archaeologists and tribes… clearly the current editors’ biases are of the belief that mortuary studies can provide important additional insight into learning about ancient populations.” 

Treating remains as people and not merely “things”, and keeping in context the wishes and beliefs of the deceased’s tribal affiliations is a theme more and more recurring since NAGPRA came on the scene. As a whole, we tend to associate immortality as a primary function of ancient burials—we are particularly affected by the popular archaeology we see in museums, especially the Egyptian cultural heritage. It is easy to forget that not every culture’s beliefs are centered on such concepts. The essay regarding Hopi perspectives is very clear: “The archaeological excavation of graves to recover human remains or grave goods interrupts the natural process of returning to the earth that is essential to the metamorphosis of human remains into the fertile, life sustaining tipkya associated with each Hopi village.” Indeed, according to the authors, NAGPRA presses unique burdens upon tribes as new rituals for reburying remains, in the case of the Hopi, needed to be created as previously remains were never disinterred after appropriate burial rituals had been performed. The point is also made that NAGPRA created many opportunities for archaeologists and other scholars to be informed of otherwise secret rituals that Hopi had not truly desired to reveal before the law was passed. In fact, NAGPRA forces both Native Americans and archaeologists to work together.

The rest of the book contains interesting analyses of southwest burials which reveal something of the cultural organization of prehistoric societies in the region. These studies reveal a complex structured society where participation in several sodalities (social/religious/political entities) differentiated burial ritual and goods. Indeed, existence of these most of these societies is evident only in statistical analysis of burial offerings. Evidence of other sodalities is confirmed through corresponding ethnographic evidence.

A paper also explores health and dietary stresses as discovered by examining remains found at La Plata, noting how ironic it is that one can study the dead to ascertain the health of a living community through time.

Ancient Burial Practices in the American Southwest can be ordered directly from its publisher for $24.95, by clicking here.
 

The result of a 1989 conference in Tampa Florida to celebrate the life’s work of the co-editor Patty Jo Watson, this book is a collection of papers which disputes long held ideas that the Eastern Woodlands cultures were simple, homogenous and unchanging for thousands of years. 

What’s cool about this book is that all of the investigations done were re-analyses and integrations of all of the existing collected research into the area to date. A lot of that data was collected by pioneer ethnoarchaeologist  Patty Jo Watson. There are twenty-eight Watson citations referenced in the fourteen papers in the book.

Thus, Of Caves & Shell Mounds, is a fitting tribute to Watson’s amazing three decade career and should serve as a model for other researchers as an inspiring example of how to do excellent research without spending a fortune doing it, especially if you have high-quality work to draw upon. (Read more about this stellar researcher by clicking here) 

The focus of the book is work done in the Kentucky karst region, especially at the Mammoth Cave National Park, where studies have shown that the Indians of the region engaged in mining of a renewable resource, speleothem salt. This topic has been covered somewhat superficially in magazines such as Archaeology and others, but the essays in the book fill in all of the detail of what is known to date. This is really exciting work, illustrating one facet of the complexity of Late Archaic/Early Woodland culture in the area. The reader soon sees there was a rich culture afoot in this region.

Gail E. Wagner’s paper on early plant domestication is a fascinating review and reassessment of Watson’s patient, dedicated studies which show “the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research projects” and which “have figured prominently in formulations of plant domestication and cultivation in the mid-continent.”

Phillip DiBlasi’s paper details rock art found in dark sections of Kentucky caves, many done with charcoal, others scratched into the mud. Dark area cave rock art is just now coming into its own as a topic of interest and there is little to read on the topic, so this publication was most welcome to read.

Another paper of interest is by Mary C. Kennedy and details the radiocarbon dating process, inventorying difficulties within the laboratory process which introduce a range of inaccuracies into the dating system. I hadn’t realized how many different problems can occur with samples, not from improper handling, but from the varying processes performed in the lab.

Unlike many other collections of presented papers, this one is written in a style that is very easy to read. I read the book in nearly one sitting, intrigued by the straightforward style of the writing which drew me into the reasoning of the research. All of the essays were interesting… I could have written a much longer review, but I promised to keep these reviews "quick." This book is a classic-- Buy It!

I write these reviews to point readers toward great books to read: Of Caves and Shell Mounds should be on your bookshelf! Order this book direct from the publishers, for $34.95, by clicking here. 
 

This well written and nicely illustrated book is in the fifth printing of a revised edition which first appeared in 1964, and it is easy to see why.  The late husband and wife team of Carl and Eleanor Chapman combined his writing skills as a professor of anthropology and archaeology (he is considered by many as the father of Missouri archaeology) and her artistic skills in archaeology illustrations (she was Art Editor of The Missouri Archaeologist).  Together they produced one of the best introductions to the prehistoric inhabitants of Missouri. 

Their presentation is very clear and straightforward, beginning with an introduction to archaeology in relation to Indians and a broader look at Indians in the Americas in general.  They then move chronologically through the major developmental periods --- migration into the Americas, the Paleo-Indian, Dalton, Archaic, Woodlands, Mississippian, Proto-Historic and Historic, including those Indians who passed through Missouri on their expulsion from east of the Mississippi.  The relative brevity of these chapters (most are under 10 pages) is compensated by a depth of writing which packs a surprising amount of cultural information along with descriptions of artifacts and their uses.  Short bibliographies are set at the end of every chapter for ready reference to more in-depth material. Eleanor Chapman's  accompanying drawings of projectiles and other artifacts such as tools, pottery, structures, maps and daily life are elegantly detailed with unobtrusive notations for gauging size.  Several pages of representative diagnostic materials and their respective periods are also included.

The chapter on ‘The Archaeological Survey of Missouri’ is of special interest to avocationalists, addressing questions such as “How do you know where to look for Indian sites and artifacts?”, “What do you look for?” and “How do you make a survey for archaeological sites?”.  Although the information is directed towards Missouri specifically (fortifications, burial mounds and pottery), much of it can be applied most anywhere one is looking for sites. A generalized description of the methodology utilized by archaeologists is covered in ‘The Archaeologist at Work’  and offers insight into how sites are approached with an eye to preservation of information that is both given up and destroyed by the process of excavation.  Anyone who hopes to practice any sort of amateur archaeology, especially diggers (a practice that is not advocated by the authors), needs to pay attention to the authors’ advice on the subject.

“There are true amateur archaeologists who lack academic training but are capable of doing excellent archaeological work.  These people are knowledgeable, and many are fully competent to conduct archaeological investigations in certain areas and specialties.  Their instruction has usually been less intense and not so broad as that of the professional archaeologist upon whom they depend for the interpretation of their research…Relics from uncontrolled, random digging are out of context.  They are almost completely valueless in determining the story they might have told if they had been properly recorded while in place.”

The Chapmans have done an excellent job of telling the story Missouri’s rich prehistoric past reveals.  It does so in a style which will appeal to more advanced archaeological interests as well as a wider audience and so the book includes a glossary to clarify necessary technical terms. Indians and Archaeology of Missouri can be ordered directly from the University of Missouri Press for $19.95 by clicking here. 
 

Originally published in 1986 as Anasazi Ruins of the Southwest in Color, this is an unusually appealing book, one that anyone who visited ruins in the Four Corners area should have in their library.  It presents not only the unique architectural qualities and significance of the most important and accessible sites but does so in a manner that emphasizes their place in the development of Anasazi and Puebloan ways of life.  There is a large introductory section which gives a clear overview covering not only architecture but timelines, physiological qualities of the people, agriculture, water management issues, clothing, tools, ceramics, basketry, government, warfare, trade, spirituality, astronomy and migratory patterns. 

The beautiful color photography by the authors is one of the outstanding aspects of this book, including low level aerial shots that offer rarely seen views of many well known sites and ancient roads.  They help give a sense of larger structural properties not always apparent from the ground, especially those which are accompanied by line drawings of the ground plans.  There are also a large number of excellent colored maps with highlighted terrain which illustrate not only the geographic limits of different Basketmaker and Pueblo periods but give a feel of the environment that shaped helped to shape those cultures.

Ruins are grouped into five major regions.  The Northern San Juan Region includes Mesa Verde, Hovenweep and the Montezuma Valley.  The Kayenta Region encompasses Betakin, Keet Seel and Canyon de Chelly.  The Chacoan Culture complex and its outliers are given a separate chapter, as are the Zuni and Hopi ruins of the Little Colorado River Region.  The more recent Northern Rio Grande sites which begin to include Spanish influences are looked at last, leading into the historic era of Pueblo culture. 

For anyone with an interest in the prehistoric ruins of the Southwest this is a must-have volume.  Even if you’ve visited some of the sites, you’ll be sure to learn more about them, and if you’re planning a trip to the Four Corners area it serves well as a guide to many lesser known sites well worth a side trip. A few copies of the earlier, 1986 edition of Ferguson and Rohn’s book might still be available, but with more than twice as many color photographs, the addition of new material and a more contemporary layout, the new edition is clearly an improvement on what was already a classic.  In a large, 8.5 x 11 format and 336 pages, it is available in either hardcover ($60.00) or paperback ($34.95) from the University of New Mexico’s website for the book by clicking here. 
 

The First Nations peoples of the Northwest coast between Alaska and Washington developed in a state of relative isolation.  The Kwakiutl, the Tsimshian, the Nootka, the Haida, the Bella Coola, the Tlingit, and the Coast Salish were bound by ocean and mountains which hindered travel, and while interactions with peoples further south was not impossible their cultures remained segregated for the most part.  This led to unique institutions and societal stratifications which lingered throughout the 19th and 20th century, coloring their behaviors after the advent of Euro-American domination.  Not the least of these was the rise of potlatch ceremonies as a form of “fighting with property”, with ceremonial displays of conspicuous consumption as exhibitions of status which at times even led to the ultimate destruction of villages. 

First printed in 1967, this collection of essays is primarily limited to behavioral anthropology, with a strong emphasis on the potlatch ceremonies particular to the region.  As is to be expected with any collection by multiple authors the quality of the writing varies widely.  It ranges from John R. Jewitt’s account of being help captive as a slave among the Nootka in the early 19th century, the clarity of Frank Boas writing for the National Museum of the United States at that century’s end, and firsthand descriptions by First Nations natives of potlatch ceremonies to much denser academically oriented papers and even critiques of methodology.  While most of the book deals with the surprisingly complex process of accumulation of wealth by means of potlatch, other essays deal with class structures, social stratification, winter ceremonies, crime and punishment. 

This book is not intended as a general introduction to Northwestern coastal Indians, and aside from a few chapters it is by no means a casual read.  But for the reader with a desire to understand the social complexities of these peoples on a deeper level, there is a wide variety material accumulated here that is not readily available elsewhere.   It’s available from the University of Washington Press for $14.95, by accessing the book’s website here. 
 

In the Preface to the book, the authors write: “The year 1992 marked the 500th anniversary of the initiation of European colonization and settlement of the New World, and to many people, the year 1492 remains the date of the “discovery” of the Americas. In this volume, we celebrate the true discovery process, a record of exploration and human achievement of epic proportions that is emerging through archaeological research. Our focus is the first 3,500 years or so of human settlement in the lower southeastern United States, spanning the Paleoindian and Early Archaic cultural periods, from approximately 11,500B.P. to 8000 B.P.  In the pages that follow, ideas and evidence about this time in the southeast are summarized, illustrating how our knowledge of these earliest Americans continues to develop. The geographic focus for our research comprises the area roughly south of the Ohio River—West Virginia—Pennsylvania area to just west of the Mississippi River.”

While much new information has been gleaned from the archaeological record since this book was published it still remains an excellent work and will not disappoint the reader. The book is comprised of 24 papers broken into three sections, the first part, within nine papers, examines the various models of lifeways during the time period across the region.

The second part of the book, comprising eleven papers, describes the archaeological record for the entire region, each paper covering one region. This is an exceptional synthesis for any book to undertake. The papers are truly interesting reads. Chapter 10, “The Need for a Regional Perspective” gives the reader an overview of thinking about archaeological knowledge and is very well written. The regional papers are liberally illustrated with many drawings, maps and photographs of relevant material.

Part three of the book is made up of four commentaries – I liked “Modeling Communities and Other Thankless Tasks” by Dena Dincauze. “The seductive problem with modeling is that as you model on fewer and fewer data (i.e., go back into the past), models are typically more elegant because they are parsimonious and uncluttered. They are also notoriously imprecise.”

A nearly seventy page reference section rounds out this useful, readable reference. If you are interested in Paleoindian and Early Archaic lifeways, add this book to your library.

Order The Paleoindian and Early Archaic Southeast direct from the publisher, for $34.95, by clicking here.
 

Mortuary and mound sites in Minnesota have been continuously investigated since the 1850’s but summaries of all of this research have never really been put together in one all-inclusive volume. Minnesota’s Indian Mounds and Burial Sites is such a volume: “This major, five-year study represents a truly ground-breaking effort to identify, assess, organize, and synthesize all available data on pre- and protohistoric earthwork and burial site excavations, including original fields data, to develop a comprehensive picture of mortuary practices and patterns statewide… no other state has undertaken such a massive project.”

What resulted from that study is a huge, nearly 600 page volume packed with information about every single detail about earthworks and burial mounds that any researcher could wish for. As for amateurs and avocationalists, this book will intrigue you and show you the extent of careful research needed to understand the complex and often puzzling aspects of the archaeology of mounds. Even if you are not from Minnesota, this volume will fill in many details common to other mound builders you may be researching or are interested in.

I was especially interested in the papers concerning the structure of mounds, how they were built and the locations of internal features. I’ve not seen this kind of study in other books, even though, mound construction seems to be something most people want to know more about.

Minnesota’s Indian Mounds and Burial Sites is the most complete book on this topic available, and this review is meant to act as a pointer for readers to follow up on. Buy this book, you won’t be disappointed. 

Order Minnesota’s Indian Mounds and Burial Sites direct from the publisher, for $40.00, by clicking here.
 

One of the last areas on this planet to be inhabited year round was the North American high Arctic region, and the Palaeo-Eskimos (sic) who spread out from Siberia into this brutal virgin territory 4000 years ago is the topic of this well written and intriguing book.  They were a distinct culture from the Inuit which inhabited the region by the time of the Euroamerican incursion, remembered only in Inuit legend as the Tunit and by the archaeological record they’ve left behind.  The archaeological record they’ve left behind is scant due to the sparse and widely scattered population that moved along the Northern Slope of Alaska into the Barren Grounds and High Arctic Islands of Canada.  But those artifacts which were left behind tend to be virtually  freeze-dried by an extremely cold and dry weather that also slows the geological and biological changes that tend to obscure sites. The resulting archaeological record is surprisingly rich and paints a picture of cultural survival and eventual demise at the extreme edges of a harsh environment subject to climatic change. 

As a curator of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and an archaeologist who has studied ancient Arctic History for over thirty years, Robert McGhee is well qualified to present this study of the Palaeo-Eskimos.  His wonderfully clear writing style smoothly brings a personal understanding of the unique ecology of the area and its effect on sites he has worked on and researched.  The Neolithic cultures of Siberia, as well as the Choris, Norton and Ipiutak cultures of Alaska are covered to some degree, but the bulk of the book covers the Independence I and II, Saqqaq and Pre-, Early, Middle and Late Dorset cultures of Canada and Greenland, and the ultimate incursion of Europeans.

The Palaeo-Eskimos were not related to the later Eskimo or Inuit peoples, and are considered part of a separate wave of Asiatic immigration across the Bering Strait, distinctly different from the influx of 11,000 BP that originally populated North America.  For the most part they avoided contact with the previously established populations.  They brought with them new methods for dealing with the Arctic environment, including specialized clothing and housing techniques, microblade lithics, and the new technology of the bow and arrow.  They are felt to have introduced this latter innovation to the Americas.  “Small stone weapon points, which appear to be copies of Palaeo-Eskimo arrowheads, are found on Indian settlement sites in the area occupied about 2000 BC, shortly after the Palaeo-Eskimos arrived.  The earliest stone arrowheads on archaeological sites in other regions of the New World appear at progressively later times as one moves farther south and west from Labrador.  The Palaeo-Eskimos, therefore, may have been instrumental in introducing an element of Old World technology that became the prime weapon of most New World Peoples.”  They were also the first Native American peoples to encounter Europeans as well, encountering the early Norse explorers making their way to Greenland and across to Labrador. 

Another interesting aspects of this book deals with the effects of ongoing climatic changes on Paleo-Eskimo culture, for, as McGhee states, “(o)ur culture is not the first to face a major shift in global climates…Arctic climates are so severe, and human adaptations to them are assumed to be so marginal, that any significant change in he environment could be expected to cause major problems for the people adapted to it.”  The relatively rapid climatic changes of the Mediaeval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age produced alterations in caribou and musk ox migration patterns, as well as changes in sea ice environments, radically altering subsistence gathering capacity.  The fragility of their cultures, based as it was on exploiting an already marginal environmental niche, may have been unable to cope with such a decline, ultimately leading to the demise of the Palaeo-Eskimos. 

Ancient People of the Arctic is quite nicely illustrated.  The photographs, many taken by McGhee himself, not only give a good feel of the archaeological sites and artifacts, but of the environment the Palaeo-Eskimos thrived in.  A series of color plates convey the mystery of art that thrived not only in shamanistic masks and amulets, but in beautifully rendered lithics and objects of daily life. A wide number of maps are also very helpful for those of us lacking a clear understanding of this often forgotten corner of the globe. 

Eminently readable and appropriate for both professionals and amateurs wanting to learn more about this little known facet of North American archaeology, this is the book to start with on the subject of Palaeo-Eskimos. It’s available in paperback for $29.95 from the University of British Columbia Press, via the book’s website here.
 

Twelve Millennia is a very enjoyable book to read. The authors have taken great pains to synthesize a huge amount of research material into a set of essays that anyone can understand and organized them into a logical picture of 12,000 years of the region’s history. 

Starting with an overview of what anthropologists and archaeologists do, the reader is next provided with the environmental and climatic history of the Upper Mississippi River Valley region. These overviews show the region as a place where the ancients found all of the necessary elements they needed to live and thrive there throughout 12,000 years of habitation.  These sections are very well written and cover topics as diverse as social complexity (I liked the summary chart) to geomorphology, a complex topic the authors make easy to follow with many illustrations and photographs.

Next we are given a picture of past archaeological studies done within the region. We find, that at one time, hundreds if not thousands of effigy mounds were spread throughout the area. We are shown hints of the rich archaeological record of the Upper Mississippi River Valley area.

The meat-and-potatoes of the volume lay within the eight chapters that outline traditions, or timelines of habitation for the region. Starting with “The First People” (12,000 B.P.) and ending with “The End of Prehistory” (350 B.P. – 0 B.P.) In describing each tradition, the authors tell us a story of life in that time, carefully weaving together the culture history into the descriptions of artifact assemblages. This is different than a lot of archaeological summaries. We are reading about people’s lives much more than just about artifacts and this makes the book very enjoyable as well as informative. An example: “We can learn a great deal about the season of harvest and the habitats exploited by ancient hunters and gatherers by examining specific habitat requirements of ecofacts, such as the discarded mussel shells at Mill Pond. For example, the ebony shell mussel was formerly the most common mussel in the Upper Mississippi River, with many dense populations occurring in beds along the borders of the rivers and its side channels…. Based on inference from the ethnographic record, the ebony shell mussels were probably collected by women wading in the river during midsummer low-water periods. Harvesting experiments indicate that 175 mussels can be collected by one person in an hour at high-density mussel beds. This means that the 3500 mussels recovered from the Early Woodland midden might require as little as 20 hours of harvest time, or five people gathering for a single 4-hour period.” We are never allowed to view just the artifacts or just the data--- the authors keep our attention focused on the people who lived through each and every period of history articulated.

Twelve Millennia is a book meant to solicit interest in archaeology from the public and also will be of interest to educators and students at all levels. It is a fine addition to any library of archaeology book, and should be a must-buy for anyone interested in the Upper Mississippi Valley. Twelve Millennia can be ordered direct from the publisher for $27.95, by clicking here.
 

How many times have you bought a book because you picked it up, read part of a chapter and realized that this was the book for you?   While easy enough in a bookstore, it is more difficult for online purchases.  But try this: take this opportunity to view the book’s first chapter at leisure.  Go ahead, click here (a PDF), take your time, and then come back to finish this review. 

Blackwell Publishing publishes their Studies in Global Archaeology as “a series of contemporary texts, each carefully designed to meet the needs of archaeology instructors and students seeking volumes that treat regional and thematic areas of archaeological study.”  This volume, which presents a range of North American archaeology that stretches from the prehistoric to the recent, falls well within their stated goal of being accessible while offering a theoretically sophisticated overview of what archaeology has to contribute to understanding 10,000 or so years of cultures on this continent. 

The academic constructs underpinning research into North American archaeology are undergoing constant changes, and here one will find a wide number of them discussed in a lively fashion.  The editors set the tone in their co-authored first chapter, ‘Alternate Histories and North American Archaeology.’  Although this entire chapter is available for viewing on the book’s website, it is insightful to quote their take on this collection.

“The chapters in this volume highlight the story of a continent, from the Atlantic to Alaska, from the San Luis mission to Sonora, and from the Kinnewick man of nine millennia ago to the Colorado coalfield strikes of nine decades ago….North America is, and was, all about alternative histories.  It is about peoples in the plural…Alternative histories are the subject matter of a renewed North American archaeology that, in its own history of practice, its large datasets, and its theoretical directions, is teaching us a lesson that promises to help all peoples understand the sweep of global history and the commonalities of the human experience.”

The following 14 chapters follow in a roughly chronological order covering specific periods and locales, liberally seasoned with case studies emphasizing the contemporary research developments in those fields.  Starting with the peoples who first ventured onto this continent (“…the event is all but invisible archaeologically”) and the Clovis phenomena (“…not a unitary lifeway but…a brief artifact-signaled moment when many different lifeways appear to have coexisted”), the chapters move on to cover examples of the evolution of increasingly complex societal structures along the Pacific coast. 

Next covered are the mound building cultures of the archaic Southeast, Hopewell and the Mississippian periods, which are particularly rich in the archaeological record, especially with regards to mortuary practices.  The current state of research regarding these large and complex societies are addressed in regards to the questions they raise regarding a more stratified leadership hierarchy and degrees of social inequality in the context of agrarian stabilization of subsistence levels and an increase in intra-and inter-regional trade items. 

The pre- and post-contact evolutionary curve of Plains Village cultural traditions in adapting to advances in agricultural and hunting technology is traced over a millennium that encompassed interactions with first Cahokia and then white men.  The highly mobile Algonquian culture of the Northeast is seen here through the archaeological record in “…multilayered contexts of power relationships, social organization, cultural traditions, environment, and history.”  The recurring issue of archaeological evidence of social inequality and “the emergence of elites” amongst the Hohokam, Mogollon and Anasazi  is dealt with in a chapter on the Southwest in general, and more specifically in a chapter on Chaco which carefully contrasts earlier, more idyllic views with contemporary research on both Chaco and Paquime. 

The final five chapters focus on the emergence of archaeology as a valuable adjunct in the interpretation of the historic record. Post-contact Indian culture, the emergence of creolization of the native population, integration of the slave population in colonial America, and issues regarding repatriation of Native American burials (including NAGPRA) are each given a chapter that emphasizes the importance of interpretation of artifacts in clarifying history. A final chapter on archaeological finding at the Ludlow Massacre Site where less than a century ago armed struggle between coal mine management and labor makes clear that the subject of cultural inequity still has a very real relevance, one that can benefit from hard archaeological data in the face of emotionally charged discussions. 

While the academic credentials of the authors (including a strong showing of anthropologists) clearly show through in the referential thoroughness of their work, the writing is clear and flows naturally between case studies and debates on their implications.  While this is not a complete text on the subject of North American archaeology enough background material is provided throughout that it is capable of standing alone.  The large number (over 90) of maps, diagrams and illustrations are well chosen and much more of an asset than an added afterthought. 

As well suited for the student of archaeology as for the layperson wanting to follow recent conceptual trends in the field, this book will provide much food for thought.  The bibliographies at the end of each chapter provide excellent suggestions for readers who want to delve deeper into subjects, while the glossary actually amplifies the contextual content of terms. For a volume you will return to many times, this 410 page paperback volume is well worth its price of $36.95 ($89.95 in hardback) from Blackwell Publishing.  You can purchase it through the book’s web page by clicking here. (This page also contains the table of contents and a ‘View sample pages’ icon leading to the first chapter.)