Exploring Native North America by
From the 11,00-year -old Blackwater Draw in New Mexico to the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Wyoming, the archaeological evidence left by Native Americans forms a fascinating legacy. In the third volume in Oxford's acclaimed Places in Time series, David Hurst Thomas guides readers throughtwenty well-known sites in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A lively and engaging narrative, as well as photographs, maps, reconstructions, and site plans help tell the story of each site and illuminate the early history of North America. Thomas's introduction provides a brief history of the archaeological research in the region, along with a discussion ofits demographic trade and economy, science and technology, and art and religion. Each chapter is devoted to a single site and features a map showing its location, a site plan or reconstruction, a chronological table covering the span of occupation, a history of the site's excavation, a discussion ofthe principle finds and description of the particular method used by archaeologists. Sites covered include Cape Krusenstern in Alaska, Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump in Canada, Mesa Verde in Arizona, Serpent Mound in Ohio, and Knife River in North Dakota. Thomas also addresses the culture and way oflife of the people who lived at each site, their technological achievements, their relationship with the environment, and the spiritual beliefs that motivated them. Gracefully written and based on the most current archaeological scholarship, Exploring Native North America offers a fascinating tour for history buffs, armchair time-travelers, and anyone planning to explore these intriguing sites.
Beringia Land Bridge
Cahokia by
Almost a thousand years ago, a Native American city flourished along the Mississippi River near what is now St. Louis. Cahokia was a thriving metropolis at its height, with a population of 20,000, a sprawling central plaza, and scores of spectacular earthen mounds. The city gave rise to a new culture that spread across the plains; yet by 1400 it had been abandoned, leaving only the giant mounds as monuments, and traces of its influence in tribes we know today. Here, anthropologist Timothy R. Pauketat reveals the story of the city and its people as uncovered by American archaeologists. Their excavations have revealed evidence of a powerful society, including complex celestial timepieces, the remains of feasts big enough to feed thousands, and disturbing signs of large-scale human sacrifice. Pauketat provides a comprehensive picture of what's been discovered about Cahokia, and how these findings have challenged our perceptions of Native Americans.