Customer Reviews

Grasshopper Pueblo: A Story of Archaeology and Ancient Life

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The Mogollon people, along with other ethnic groups, flourished at Grasshopper Pueblo in the Arizona mountains for an astonishingly brief few generations from around 1300 to 1400. This followed the Great Drought of the late 1200s, an event which changed prehistoric life in the American southwest. Authors Reid and Whittlesey conceived of their book as a popular synthesis, distilling for a general audience 30 yrs of archaeological research at Grasshopper Pueblo. And the book is certifiably general, often frustratingly so. Practically every page includes some reference to life at Grasshopper Pueblo that could/should have been amplified. Here are random examples:

* The authors describe the period prior to the founding of Grasshopper Pueblo as being characterized by "elaboration of the mountain adaptive pattern and by the continuation of regional differences" (p. 17). Which is a rather dry way to describe the intriguing notion that archeology can infer evolution and variation in life style of a mobile people inhabiting only several hundreds of square miles -- a notion many readers will want to hear more about and, perhaps, need to know about, in order to understand the meaning and value of southwestern archeology.

* "The 1300s mark a special time in Mogollon prehistory when the mountains of Arizona experienced the largest year-round population ever" (p. 62). But doesn't the current population of the region (at least) deserve to hear the authors' estimate of what the largest population might have been? or to be given a statistic on the region's current population, as a benchmark for appreciating prehistory?

* "The threefold division of the main pueblo into room blocks and plazas continued throughout the Aggregation period and was accompanied by distinctions in architecture, use of fuel wood, diet, and other differences, indicating that the people living in each room block maintained particular ways of doing things that may have been a product of their different origins or affiliations" (p. 116). Wow -- How could the authors *not* explicate the methodology, data and alternative interpretations pertaining to every facet of that prehistoric pluralistic society? is anything like it seen among historic puebloan people?

The authors restrain themselves throughout the book, presenting only the broadest sketch of their and other's findings. Also problematically, the authors unconvincingly apply the archeological concepts of aggregation and abandonment to the history of the University of Arizona Field School, which convened each summer at Grasshopper Pueblo for 30 yrs. And lastly, the text is maddeningly repetitive, as if paragraphs were independently written and then collated, without regard to the duplication of material -- Where was the editor?

Overall, the book provides an introduction to the archeology of Grasshopper Pueblo. Many readers will be intrigued by the cohabitation of Mogollon and Anasazi peoples and by the peoples' remarkably poor health, but I suspect only introductory readers of southwestern prehistory will benefit greatly from most of the book's narrative.

Bob Niles

This book provides an introduction to the archeology of Grasshopper Pueblo. Introductory readers of southwestern prehistory will benefit greatly from most of this book's narrative. I took an anthropology course from the author of this book, while a student at the University of AZ (I'm a 2008 graduate with a BFA from the College of Fine Arts). Dr. J. J. Reid is an excellent instructor, especially since he has done a dig at the Grasshopper Pueblo. Interesting book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in anthropology. B. Best.