The Ancient Mounds of Poverty Point

The Ancient Mounds of Poverty Point PDF Author: Jon L. Gibson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813018331
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Gibson, the grand old man of Poverty Point archaeology, has presented his personal reflections on his and others' extensive work at this mysterious and awe-inspiring site. He recounts (in his equally mysterious Louisiana voice) the setting, meaning, and history of archaeological thought that surround the site."--Mike Russo, National Park Service Jon Gibson confronts the intriguing mystery of Poverty Point, the ruins of a large prehistoric Indian settlement that was home to one of the most fascinating ancient cultures in eastern North America. The 3,500-year-old site in northeastern Louisiana is known for its large, elaborate earthworks--a series of concentric, crescent-shaped dirt rings and bird-shaped mounds. With its imposing 25-mile core, it is one of the largest archaic constructions on American soil. It's also one of the most puzzling--perplexing questions haunt Poverty Point, and archaeologists still speculate about life and culture at the site, its age, how it was created, and if it was at the forefront of an emerging complex society. Gibson's engaging, well-illustrated account of Poverty Point brings to life one of the oldest earthworks of its size in the Western Hemisphere, the hub of a massive exchange network among native American peoples reaching a third of the way across the present-day United States. Gibson, the eminent authority on the site, boldly launches the first full-scale political, economic, and organizational analysis of Poverty Point and nearby affiliated sites. Writing in an informal style, he examines the period's architecture, construction, tools and appliances, economy, exchange, and ceremonies.

The Ancient Mounds of Poverty Point

The Ancient Mounds of Poverty Point PDF Author: Jon L. Gibson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813018331
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Gibson, the grand old man of Poverty Point archaeology, has presented his personal reflections on his and others' extensive work at this mysterious and awe-inspiring site. He recounts (in his equally mysterious Louisiana voice) the setting, meaning, and history of archaeological thought that surround the site."--Mike Russo, National Park Service Jon Gibson confronts the intriguing mystery of Poverty Point, the ruins of a large prehistoric Indian settlement that was home to one of the most fascinating ancient cultures in eastern North America. The 3,500-year-old site in northeastern Louisiana is known for its large, elaborate earthworks--a series of concentric, crescent-shaped dirt rings and bird-shaped mounds. With its imposing 25-mile core, it is one of the largest archaic constructions on American soil. It's also one of the most puzzling--perplexing questions haunt Poverty Point, and archaeologists still speculate about life and culture at the site, its age, how it was created, and if it was at the forefront of an emerging complex society. Gibson's engaging, well-illustrated account of Poverty Point brings to life one of the oldest earthworks of its size in the Western Hemisphere, the hub of a massive exchange network among native American peoples reaching a third of the way across the present-day United States. Gibson, the eminent authority on the site, boldly launches the first full-scale political, economic, and organizational analysis of Poverty Point and nearby affiliated sites. Writing in an informal style, he examines the period's architecture, construction, tools and appliances, economy, exchange, and ceremonies.

The Poverty Point Culture

The Poverty Point Culture PDF Author: Clarence H. Webb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 110

Get Book Here

Book Description


Poverty Point, a Late Archaic Site in Louisiana

Poverty Point, a Late Archaic Site in Louisiana PDF Author: James Alfred Ford
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Indians of North America
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Cultural Landscape of Prehistoric Mines

The Cultural Landscape of Prehistoric Mines PDF Author: Society for American Archaeology. Meeting
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Get Book Here

Book Description
The papers in this volume came out of a symposium focusing on mining and its wider impact, at the 66th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A number of fundamental questions were posed to the presenters, including: did the raw mined material have a symbolic value?, were the mines considered special places? were the miners craft specialists? did they have a particular social niche? In the wider landscape perspective, it was hoped that the case studies would also throw some light upon the choices of site locations: were mines and quarries simply positioned at the most convenient source of raw material, or were other considerations such as quality, rarity or colouration involved? Arguably the special nature of certain mining locations was linked to the local communities worldview, they must have been associated with traditional stories and oral histories. The presence of graffiti or rock art can often betray a 'special' location. Similarly, assemblages of carefully placed artefacts or pottery can also reveal specialised deposition, even amongst relatively mundane 'functional' tool types. Finally, the rare occurrence of burials in some mines and quarries offers further perspectives on how these sites may have been perceived by contemporary communities. The archaeological record does suggest a multiplicity of activities were focussed upon some mining sites, which do not easily fit with interpretations of extraction strategies. Although it could never be effectively argued that all mining had ritualised or ceremonial undertones, in some cases there was a definite and demonstrable special nature to the mining activity: this book presents some of those case studies.(Oxbow Books 2004)