The Phase I Archeological Research Program for the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Vol. 3 : Analysis of the Physical Remains (Classic Reprint)

Explore a data-driven portrait of Knife River pottery and the people who shaped it, from early Mandan roots to later Hidatsa influence.

Discover how ceramic styles, dating, and trade artifacts reveal long migrations and cultural shifts in the region.

The book presents a detailed look at ceramic analysis across multiple time periods in the Knife River area. It links pottery styles to cultural change, including transitions from Mandan to Hidatsa influence and the emergence of distinct ceramic traditions.

Readers will see how statistical methods like principal components and clustering help organize many batches and sites into a chronological framework spanning several centuries. The narrative ties material culture to broader historical events, including migrations, trade, and epidemics that reshaped communities.

• Stories told by pottery: from Le Beau ware to Knife River ware and what these changes mean for village life.
• How dates and correlations illuminate shifts in tribal identity and regional power.
• Connections between decorative techniques, vessel forms, and cultural contact with Europeans.
• Patterns in trade beads and metal artifacts that trace interactions across the plains.

Ideal for readers of archaeology and North American Indigenous history who want concrete timelines and what artifact styles say about people and place.