Cahokia Mounds (IL): America's First City (Landmarks) [Paperback]

William Iseminger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2010 | Series: Landmarks

About one thousand years ago, a phenomenon occurred in a fertile tract of Mississippi River flood plain known today as the American Bottom. This phenomenon came to be called Cahokia Mounds - America's first city. Interpreting the rich heritage of a site like Cahokia Mounds is a balancing act; the interpreter must speak as a scholar to the general public on behalf of an entirely different civilization. Since even those three groups are splintered into myriad dialects of perspective, sometimes it is hard to know what language to use. But William Iseminger s work at the site has given him nearly four decades of practice in Cahokia Conversation 101, and he tells the story of the place and its ancient culture (as well as its place in contemporary culture) with the clarity and confidence of a native speaker.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William R. Iseminger was born in Bloomington, Illinois, and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. He majored in anthropology in college, receiving his BA from the University of Oklahoma and his MA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He participated in excavations in South Dakota and several locations in Illinois, and he has worked at the Cahokia site full time since 1971. He directed public archaeological field schools for many years and serves as assistant site manager in charge of exhibits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (March 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596297344
• ISBN-13: 978-1596297340
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Treatise on Cahokia for the Armchair Archaeologist, July 23, 2011

By 

Albert F. White (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cahokia Mounds (IL): America's First City (Landmarks) (Paperback)

Growing up so close to Cahokia Mounds, I've been interested in the site my entire life and have even worked a few field schools out there. I've read a lot of books on the subject and this book is by far the best. It is a detailed account (and from what I can tell, comprehensive) of all the archaeological work that has happened at Cahokia Mounds since its discovery. Mr. Imseminger has a clear and authoritative writing style that makes this book easily accessible to the "armchair" archaeologists.

This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in, or planning to visit, the site. I can't imagine a trip to Cahokia Mounds without it. I read a library edition, but plan to download a kindle edition to keep as future reference.

However, I do wish the author would have done two things differently: 1) included a numbered map of the mounds earlier in the book - even a pull out copy and 2) included an index. When I was done reading there were a few topics I wanted to double-back on but the lack of an index made that nearly impossible.

Good job!