Exploration of the Etowah Site in Georgia: The Etowah Papers (Southeastern Classics in Archaeology, Anthropology, and History) [Paperback]

Warren King Moorehead (Author)

Book Description

Series: Southeastern Classics in Archaeology, Anthropology, and History | Publication Date: May 2, 2000

"The descriptive material [in the book] is priceless. . . . Any archaeologist who works on Mississippian cultures will want it."—Vin Steponaitis, University of North Carolina

Spectacular discoveries at Mound C at the Etowah site in Georgia, the result of excavations from 1925 to 1928, changed the American perspective of the artistic achievements of prehistoric Native Americans in the eastern United States. These discoveries, in a mound that had supposedly already been excavated under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian Institution in 1883, made up the final major field expedition of Warren King Moorehead, a legendary figure in American archaeology.
 The papers, written in the first person and originally published in 1932, at the end of what is considered the humanistic "golden age" of American anthropology, today offer a fresh understanding of the history of American archaeology and of the cultural heritage of prehistoric Native America.
 The Etowah site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Contents
I.  Exploration of the Etowah Site in Georgia, by Warren King Moorehead
II.  History and Symbolism of the Muskhogeans, by Charles C. Willoughby
III.  A Study of the Ceramic Art of the Etowans, by Margaret E. Ashley
IV.  Comparison between Etowan, Mexican and Mayan Designs, by Zelia Nuttall
V.  Molluscan Shells from the Etowah Mounds, by Frank Collins Baker

Warren King Moorehead (1866-1939) was known during his time as the dean of American archaeology. He was a member of the field staff for Indian exhibits at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 and was the first curator of the Ohio Historical Society. At the time of his Etowah research he was director of the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology at Phillips Academy in Andover.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

"The descriptive material [in the book] is priceless. . . . Any archaeologist who works on Mississippian cultures will want it."—Vin Steponaitis, University of North Carolina

Spectacular discoveries at Mound C at the Etowah site in Georgia, the result of excavations from 1925 to 1928, changed the American perspective of the artistic achievements of prehistoric Native Americans in the eastern United States. These discoveries, in a mound that had supposedly already been excavated under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian Institution in 1883, made up the final major field expedition of Warren King Moorehead, a legendary figure in American archaeology.
 The papers, written in the first person and originally published in 1932, at the end of what is considered the humanistic "golden age" of American anthropology, today offer a fresh understanding of the history of American archaeology and of the cultural heritage of prehistoric Native America.
 The Etowah site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Contents
I.  Exploration of the Etowah Site in Georgia, by Warren King Moorehead
II.  History and Symbolism of the Muskhogeans, by Charles C. Willoughby
III.  A Study of the Ceramic Art of the Etowans, by Margaret E. Ashley
IV.  Comparison between Etowan, Mexican and Mayan Designs, by Zelia Nuttall
V.  Molluscan Shells from the Etowah Mounds, by Frank Collins Baker

Warren King Moorehead (1866-1939) was known during his time as the dean of American archaeology. He was a member of the field staff for Indian exhibits at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 and was the first curator of the Ohio Historical Society. At the time of his Etowah research he was director of the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology at Phillips Academy in Andover.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida; 1st edition (May 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813017939
• ISBN-13: 978-0813017938
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,018,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reprint of the "Etowah Papers" which offer details regarding excavations along Georgia's Etowah River during the 1920s ..., March 31, 2010

By 

R. Neil Scott "Writer, Professor & User Servi... (Murfreesboro, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exploration of the Etowah Site in Georgia: The Etowah Papers (Southeastern Classics in Archaeology, Anthropology, and History) (Paperback)

First published in 1932 by Yale University Press, this current, attractively designed, softcover edition is published by the University Press of Florida as part of its "Southeastern Classics in Archaeology, Anthropology and History." Intended to keep scholarly works originally published in paperback on non-acid free paper -- now rare and hard-to-impossible to find -- available to current students and scholars, this particular volume of the series reproduces what was originally published as the "Etowah Papers."

Along with the Cahokia Site near Saint Louis, Illinois, the Etowah site -- about three miles southwest of Cartersville, Ga. -- is one of the most famous archaeological sites of the Eastern United States. As noted by Jerald T. Milanich, the Series Editor, objects and artifacts found around the ceremonial complex at Etowah are considered to be among the most important found anywhere. Frank T. Schell, Jr. Curator of the Columbus (Ga.) Museum, provides readers with a good Introduction with details regarding the original writers/contributors of the Etowah Papers and the excavations and challenges they faced during their mid-to-late 1920s excavations.

Located near the northern border of Georgia, along the Etowah River, this site is considered to be one of the greatest social, economic and political centers of prehistoric North America. The illustrations of "large repousse copper plates...[with] motif-warriors in bird costumes," among other discoveries from the site, "firmly place [the] Etowah [site] as one of the foremost wellsprings of late prehistoric artistic achievement in North America." Chapters by Moorehead and Nuttall connecting the sites to early Spanish explorers' descriptions of mound complexes and their efforts to connect the Etowah designs and lifestyles with those of Mesoamerica will be of particular interest to current readers.

Contents include, the 56-page section titled: "Notes on the History and Symbolism of the Muskhogeans and the People of Etowah," by Charles C. Willoughby (profusely illustrated with artifact drawings); the 37-page "Description of Excavations," by Warren King Moorehead (includes an extensive variety of maps, drawings and photographs); the 29-page "Study of the Ceramic Art of the Etowans," by Margaret E. Ashley (includes an extensive variety of photographs); a 9-page, illustrated study titled "Some Comparisons Between Etowan, Mexican and Mayan Designs," by Zella Nuttall; and an essay on the "Molluscan Shells from Etowah Mounds," by Frank Collins Baker.

The narrative section is concluded with a section titled "General Observations and Conclusions," and a six-page small-print index.

The accounts of fieldwork and artifact descriptions make this reprint an essential purchase for those interested in Etowah art and iconography. As Schell points out in his Introduction, "This interdisciplinary report on excavations at the Etowah site in the 1920s is truly significant and of great value today. But for the existence of the Etowha Papers, American archaeology would be much the poorer."

Highly recommended for academic and public libraries with an interest in Mesoamerican and Native American Studies.

R. Neil Scott
Middle Tennessee State University

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Walker, November 30, 2005

By 

Walker parlowe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exploration of the Etowah Site in Georgia: The Etowah Papers (Southeastern Classics in Archaeology, Anthropology, and History) (Paperback)

It is a classic. It does give you a good look at Arachaeological work in the 20's. Tell's you what was found before development destroyed most of it.