Explore how climate, soils, and plants shaped a prehistoric world at Mesa Verde
The book presents a detailed, data-driven look at how environment influenced Puebloan settlement and land use over about 700 years. Through the Wetherill Mesa Project, it collection of measurements and observations from multiple sites illuminate how weather, vegetation, and geology interacted in this dramatic landscape.
This edition compiles analytical findings on environmental variation, showing how factors like soil type, moisture, and temperature affect where and how ancient communities lived. The narrative stays grounded in field data and long-term study, making complex ecological relationships accessible to readers without prior specialist training.
- Descriptions of multiple study sites and their unique environments
- Evidence linking climate patterns to settlement and farming practices
- Illustrations of how soils and vegetation respond to different canyons and mesas
- A clear account of the research approach used by the Wetherill Mesa Project
Ideal for readers curious about how ecology and archaeology intersect in a remarkable Southwest landscape.