When the land was young
Subtitle: reflections on American archaeology
By: Sharman Apt Russell.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Lincoln
Language: eng
Number of pages: 230
Subjects: Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Archaeology -- North America -- History; North America -- Antiquities
Description: Sharman Apt Russell skillfully weaves together the stories of our land--from the ancient burial site of a gentle people who lived in eastern Florida seven to eight thousand years ago, to the Hopewell Indians in Ohio--with the personalities and techniques of present-day archaeology.As Russell explains, American archaeology has reached a crossroads. In a discipline that is caught between science and humanities, ancient sites can be seen as sources of data--or as nonrenewable resources that must be conserved. Moreover, many Native Americans consider excavation to be a form of desecration. Who owns the past?American archaeology is full of such intense questions, controversies, and emotional debates--from when humans first entered North America to the angst inherent in the field--can we ever really know the past? A lyrical tale of flesh and blood as well as dust and bones, When the Land Was Young brings to life as never before the study of the past.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-220) and index.
Originally published: Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., c1996.