Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians (Case Studies in Early Societies) [Paperback]

Timothy R. Pauketat (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521520665 | ISBN-13: 978-0521520669 | Publication Date: July 19, 2004

The ancient capital of Cahokia and a series of lesser population centers developed in the Mississippi valley in North America between the eighth and fifteenth centuries AD, leaving behind an extraordinarily rich archaeological record. Cahokia's gigantic pyramids, finely crafted artifacts, and dense population mark it as the founding city of the Mississippian civilization, formerly known as the 'mound' builders. As Cahokian ideas and objects were widely sought, a cultural and religious ripple effect spread across the mid-continent and into the South. In its wake, population migrations and social upheavals transformed social life along the ancient Mississippi River. In this important new survey, Timothy Pauketat outlines the development of Mississippian civilization, presenting a wealth of archaeological evidence and advancing our understanding of the American Indians whose influence extended into the founding moments of the United States and lives on today in American archaeology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Timothy Pauketat certainly ranks as an authority on this stage of cultural development in the Eastern Woodlands.... Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians is an important contribution to Mississippian archaeology..." - Canadian Journal of Archaeology

Book Description

The ancient city of Cahokia developed in the Mississippi valley in North America a millennium ago and has left an extraordinarily rich archaeological record. In this important new survey, Timothy Pauketat offers an outline of the development of Mississippian civilization, presenting a wealth of archaeological evidence.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521520665
• ISBN-13: 978-0521520669
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Missippian Culture for the General Reader, August 13, 2005

By 

Joanthan Dean "Harpswell" (Akron, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians (Case Studies in Early Societies) (Paperback)

The author has both excavated and written profusely on the Missippian Culture, centered in Cahokia to the East of Saint Louis, and the builders of the largest pyramids in North America. The culture flourished in the later Medieval times, just before the white men came to North America. Cahokia should be a famous as Chichen Itza and Tikal--this book is a superb introduction to the culture and to the scholarly discputes about its origins and acheivements.
Every well educated American should be familiar with Missippian culture. Read this book!

15 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm so disappointed, April 13, 2007

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S. Alden (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians (Case Studies in Early Societies) (Paperback)

What a fascinating subject, but what a disappointing book. The author, though obviously an expert in the field, should stick to writing for archaeological journals and stay away from books for the general public. Simple, declarative sentences, engaging graphics, fascinating photographs would make this little-known subject come to life, but unfortunately not one of these is to be found in this book. Instead you'll be subjected to such dreadful prose as "When compared with the material evidence of orthodoxy at Lohmann phase Cahokia, these lines of evidence indicate cultural diversity, persistence, hybridity, and creolization." Unless your idea of fun is reading 177 pages like this, stay away from this book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provacative and engaging account of Cahokia, January 21, 2009

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Moheroy (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians (Case Studies in Early Societies) (Paperback)

Pauketat is a bit of a bomb thrower and he lobsquite a few well directed missiles in this work, but they all land to good effect and he gives a very good account of the fluorescence of the Mississippian culture at Cahokia. His argument holds together very well and his genuine passion for the subject keeps it quite engaging. My only real complaint is that the book basically ends with Cahokia, and does not really discuss the Mississippian in the Southeast at all, nor does it have much to say on Cahokia's precursors. I would love to see a volume on either subject that was as passionately, thoroughly, and engagingly written.

In a way this is almost a mirror of Kantner's work on the Anasazi, which is part of the same series, suffers from almost the reverse flaw Ancient Puebloan Southwest (Case Studies in Early Societies), barely discussing the Chacoan period, but illuminates what happened after the end of Chaco.

Highly recommended for those interested in the largest center in the Precolumbian US.