The Archaeology of North America

Surveys the lifeways and cultural achievements and traditions of the prehistoric peoples of the great regions of North America, as we know of them from archaeological finds and research

Grade 10-12-- New information on the origin, customs, and culture of Native Americans would be a welcome addition to any library. Unfortunately, it is not provided by this book. The title itself is misleading, since the majority of the book is not devoted to archaeological discoveries or techniques at all, but rather to an unsuccessful attempt to condense and survey all of the major cultures of North American Indians. What archaeologists have added to our knowledge of these cultures is all too briefly alluded to in each chapter, but exactly how these discoveries illuminate the everyday lives of ancient Americans is not demonstrated. Snow does cover in some detail certain techniques, such as radio-carbon dating and dendrochronology (use of tree growth rings to determine dates), but their use by real archeologists is not demonstrated. The illustrations are of average quality; there are too few maps and those that do appear are confusing and poorly explained. Due to the broad generalizations and technical writing style, this is not a useful addition to collections serving young people. --David N. Pauli, Northern Waters Library Service, Ashland, Wis.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.