The Archaeology of the Caribbean (Cambridge World Archaeology) [Hardcover]

Samuel M. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0521623332 | ISBN-13: 978-0521623339

The Archaeology of the Caribbean is a comprehensive synthesis of Caribbean prehistory from the earliest settlement by humans more than 4000 years BC, to the time of European conquest of the islands, from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. Samuel Wilson reviews the evidence for migration and cultural change throughout the archipelago, dealing in particular with periods of cultural interaction when groups with different cultures and histories were in contact.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wilson does a masterful job of bringing [new studies and perspectives] together to revise prevailing notions of cultural development...This book is a significant contribution for those interested in island archaeology, archaeologists who work throughout the Americas, and Caribbeanists in particular."
Journal of Anthropological Research, William F. Keegan, Florida Museum of Natural History

Book Description

The Archaeology of the Caribbean is a comprehensive synthesis of Caribbean prehistory from the earliest settlement by humans more than 4000 years BC, to the time of European conquest of the islands, from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521623332
• ISBN-13: 978-0521623339
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,563,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recommended with reservations, November 18, 2008

By 

Steven F. Daniel (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Archaeology of the Caribbean (Cambridge World Archaeology) (Paperback)

Comprehensive summary of recent thinking in the field by one it's leading lights. Considering that it is Cambridge imprint, the editing is shockingly poor. It is littered with misspellings, and missing and extra words, and in desparate need of better maps. Otherwise, it is the book to read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fresh review of Caribbean early history, September 21, 2007

By 

Jalil Sued Badillo (San Juan, Puerto Rico United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Archaeology of the Caribbean (Cambridge World Archaeology) (Paperback)

[[ASIN:0521626226 The Archaeology of the Caribbean (Cambridge World Archaeology)Sam Wilson's new book is a refreshing review of the early history of the Caribbean. Long awaited by both archaeologists and ethnohistorians, locals as well as non locals. The work does justice to many interpretations long held back in the dark by traditionalists and conservatives. The region has always managed to resist single minded interpretations of its human experience and Wilson's updates and insights will be well received.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and brief, but the editing needs some work, June 11, 2009

By 

C. Federico Escobar - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Archaeology of the Caribbean (Cambridge World Archaeology) (Paperback)

This book is slender (180 small pages of text, with illustrations) but it manages to present up-to-date research on Caribbean archaeology comprehensively. The "pluralist" approach is interesting and consistent, and the descriptions of ecological adaptation are good. There is an invitation to a more radical approach to the Taínos (some paragraphs -- pages 142, 144, and 174, for instance -- do come out and say that the tag "Taínos" may be mistakenly merging different cultures under a false identity). However, the invitation is curiously tempered by several pages on Taíno society and repeated references to the Taíno. Something similar happens with the Island Caribs (page 148). On a side note, the book is full of typos and other mistakes (wrong references to figures, the fifth of seven chapters starts by saying it is the "final" chapter). I counted more than 15 of such errata, and for such a small book, and published by the excellent CUP, it came as a surprise.