General information about various aspects of rock art and specific information about where rock art can be seen in museums, visitor centers, state parks and public lands in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Photographs, line drawings and a brief description give readers an idea of what they will find at 39 locations in the three states.

Archaeologist Keyser and Klassen share with readers the origins, diversity, and beauty of Plains rock art, with the hope of encouraging greater awareness and respect for this cultural tradition by society as a whole. Their guide covers the natural and archaeological history of the northwestern Plains; explains rock art forms, techniques, styles, terminology and dating; and suggests interpretations of images and compositions. The text is illustrated throughout with black-and-white photos, maps and drawings. The writing is serious, but accessible to the general reader. c. Book News Inc.

Visit fifty amazing places highlighting indigenous peoples’ art, engineering, and more in “a thoroughly enjoyable guide to America’s prehistory.” ―American Archaeology Well-traveled anthropologist Kenneth Feder invites readers to explore the stunning technological, architectural, engineering, and artistic achievements of America’s first peoples. Part travel guide, part friendly reference, Ancient America showcases fifty iconic and publicly accessible sites located across the contiguous United States, most in state and national parks—including monumental pyramids of earth, “castles” ensconced in cliff niches, and vast rock art galleries. Among the places profiled are: Four World Heritage Sites (Chaco Canyon, NM; Mesa Verde, CO; Cahokia, IL; Poverty Point, LA) Numerous Historic Landmarks and National Monuments (including Crystal River, FL; Town Creek Mound, NC; Casa Grande, AZ; and Hovenweep, UT) Stunningly diverse sites ranging from Serpent Mound (OH) and Horsethief Lake (WA) to Canyon de Chelly (AZ) and Nine Mile Canyon (UT) In addition to practical visitor information, Feder tells the fascinating stories of each site as revealed by archaeological research. Introductory chapters delve into the deep past of Native America; historical and cultural details as well as original photography round out the site entries. “Sites are . . . ranked on a number of factors useful for visitors, including ‘Ease of Road Access,’ ‘Natural Beauty,’ ‘Kid Friendliness,’ and the overall ‘Wow Factor.’ . . . will inspire readers to visit places that will connect them to the early peoples of North America.” ―Booklist

A CHOICE OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLE The earliest rock art - in the Americas as elsewhere - is geometric or abstract. Until Early Rock Art in the American West, however, no book-length study has been devoted to the deep antiquity and amazing range of geometrics and the fascinating questions that arise from their ubiquity and variety. Why did they precede representational marks? What is known about their origins and functions? Why and how did humans begin to make marks, and what does this practice tell us about the early human mind? With some two hundred striking color images and discussions of chronology, dating, sites, and styles, this pioneering investigation of abstract geometrics on stone (as well as bone, ivory, and shell) explores its wide-ranging subject from the perspectives of ethology, evolutionary biology, cognitive archaeology, and the psychology of artmaking. The authors’ unique approach instills a greater respect for a largely unknown and underappreciated form of paleoart, suggesting that before humans became Homo symbolicus or even Homo religiosus, they were mark-makers - Homo aestheticus.