Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake [Hardcover]

Paul A. Shackel (Editor), Barbara J. Little (Editor)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; illustrated edition edition (March 17, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560982578
• ISBN-13: 978-1560982579
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,720,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THOROUGH AND ENGROSSING, May 1, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake (Hardcover)

Called the "Great Salt Water" by Native Americans, the Chesapeake Bay is a long tendon of the Atlantic Ocean that skims the coast of Virginia and divides Maryland into two parts. With a channel at the entrance some 12 miles wide, seagoing ships have been able to sail almost its entire length. It is an area rich both in history and in archeological finds.

Now this remarkably succinct yet comprehensive volume presents data regarding early European settlements, plantations and landscapes, and eighteenth and nineteenth century life. Also included are a history of past excavations, and recent archeological discoveries.

Among disclosures found in the essays are possible evidence of an African-made material culture, and analysis of the decline of Alexandria's sugar industry, and a comparison of household objects found in a working-class neighborhood.

Enhanced by photos and line illustrations, this is a seminal work pertaining to the background of the Chesapeake area, and a volume to be treasured by history buffs.

- Gail Cooke