Customer Reviews

The Archaeology of California

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This book is an introduction to the archaeology of California for a general audience. It is written in a clear style that is relatively free of technical jargon. If you are a non-professional interested in California's archaeology, I recommend you start here.

The book is divided into four periods: the Paleo Indian, Archaic, Pacific and Historical. Within this framework the different geographical regions of the state are described for each period. The nice thing about this book is that it also touches on the historic period in California, which most books on California's archaeology don't really touch on.

The book is richly illustrated with photos, maps and drawings which excellently augment the text. The book also includes seven appendixes on topics ranging from the history of California archaeology, college and university programs, and films on California archaeology for the classroom.

The biggest negative is the information contained within the appendixes. This information was compiled in the mid-eighties and a lot of the information is now out of date. (Ex. contact numbers and names for universities and museums.) However, if you are a teacher who is having to teach your students about California's archaeology or just an interested person this is a good place to start.