George Frison’s Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains has been the standard text on plains prehistory since its first publication in 1978, influencing generations of archaeologists. Now, a third edition of this classic work is available for scholars, students, and avocational archaeologists. Thorough and comprehensive, extensively illustrated, the book provides an introduction to the archaeology of the more than 13,000 year long history of the western Plains and the adjacent Rocky Mountains. Reflecting the boom in recent archaeological data, it reports on studies at a wide array of sites from deep prehistory to recent times examining the variability in the archeological record as well as in field, analytical, and interpretive methods. The 3rd edition brings the book up to date in a number of significant areas, as well as addressing several topics inadequately developed in previous editions.

The Northwestern Plains is developing a unique and viable archeology, offering students choosing their future research topics in this exciting time a variety of possibilities. The entire area of the Northwestern Plains--mountains, foothills, and plains--has been a testing ground for human ingenuity. It provides an unusual opportunity to study more than 11,000 years of prehistroic hunting and gathering. Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains synthesizes what was a disparate body of data on the prehistory of the Northwestern Plains and presents it in rational and understandable terms. Key Features * Examines the prehistoric cultural chronology and the sources of the data for the Northwestern High Plains * Presents prehistoric hunting and gathering subsistence strategies for the Northwestern High Plains * Takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of archaeology using the data from geology, soils, faunal analysis, pollen, and phytolith studies * Provides a methodology for data recovery

A comprehensive revision of the classic prehistory of the North American high plains.

The classic work on the prehistory of the North American high plains.

Ancestors of today's Native Americans populated the Great Plains about 14,000 years ago, about the time glaciers of the last Ice Age began melting back to the north. Prehistoric people living on the dry plains east of the Rocky Mountains were hunter-gatherers"š€š"they moved from place to place in search of animals to hunt and seeds, roots, and berries to gather. Archaeologists have reconstructed the history of these hunter-gatherers by studying old camp sites and tools made of stone and antler. Author Lauri Travis introduces readers to the science of archaeology, shedding light on how field scientists find evidence of people who did not build permanent houses and how researchers determine the age of an arrowhead and what it was used to kill. Archaeological illustrator Eric Carlson brings to life the day-to-day activities of these early people, such as how they used drive lines to funnel animals over buffalo jumps, how sinew was used to attach points to spears, and how grinding stones were used to mash seeds into flour. The book also includes photographs of artifacts and excavation sites, as well as a list of archaeological sites you can visit while exploring the vast plains where mammoths used to roam.

Stretching from Canada to Texas and the foothills of the Rockies to the Mississippi River, the North American Great Plains have a complex and ancient history. The region has been home to Native peoples for at least 16,000 years. This volume is a synthesis of what is known about the Great Plains from an archaeological perspective, but it also highlights Indigenous knowledge, viewpoints, and concerns for a more holistic understanding of both ancient and more recent pasts. Written for readers unfamiliar with archaeology in the region, the book in the SAA Press Current Perspectives Series emphasizes connections between past peoples and contemporary Indigenous nations, highlighting not only the history of the area but also new theoretical understandings that move beyond culture history. This overview illustrates the importance of the Plains in studies of exchange, migration, conflict, and sacred landscapes, as well as contact and colonialism in North America. In addition, the volume includes considerations of federal policies and legislation, as well as Indigenous social movements and protests over the last hundred years so that archaeologists can better situate Indigenous heritage, contemporary Indigenous concerns, and lasting legacies of colonialism today.