LibGuides: Archaeology -- Great Plains Region: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Specialized Encyclopedias & Reference Works

Examples of resources that provide background information relevant to Archaeology of North America:

Encyclopedia of Archaeology [E-RESOURCE] by Deborah M. Pearsall (Editor)
Publication Date: 2011
Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia [E-RESOURCE & PRINT] by Guy E. Gibbon (Editor)
Publication Date: 1998
The Archaeology of Ancient North America [PRINT] by Timothy R. Pauketat; Kenneth E. Sassaman This volume surveys the archaeology of Native North Americans from their arrival on the continent 15,000 years ago up to contact with European colonizers. Offering rich descriptions of monumental structures, domestic architecture, vibrant objects, and spiritual forces, Timothy R. Pauketat and Kenneth E. Sassaman show how indigenous people shaped both their history and North America's many varied environments. They place the student in the past as they trace how Native Americans dealt with challenges such as climate change, the rise of social hierarchies and political power, and ethnic conflict. Written in a clear and engaging style with a compelling narrative, The Archaeology of Ancient North America presents the grand historical themes and intimate stories of ancient Americans in full, living color.
Publication Date: 2020
The Oxford Handbook of North American Archaeology [E-Resource] This volume explores 15,000 years of indigenous human history on the North American continent, drawing on the latest archaeological theories, time-honored methodologies, and rich datasets. From the Arctic south to the Mexican border and east to the Atlantic Ocean, all of the major cultural developments are covered in 53 chapters, with certain periods, places, and historical problems receiving special focus by the volume's authors. Questions like who first peopled the continent, what did it mean to have been a hunter-gatherer in the Great Basin versus the California coast, how significant were cultural exchanges between Native North Americans and Mesoamericans, and why do major historical changes seem to correspond to shifts in religion, politics, demography, and economy are brought into focus. The practice of archaeology itself is discussed as contributors wrestle with modern-day concerns with the implications of doing archaeology and its relevance for understanding ourselves today. In the end, the chapters in this book show us that the principal questions answered about human history through the archaeology of North America are central to any larger understanding of the relationships between people, cultural identities, landscapes, and the living of everyday life.
Publication Date: 2012
Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology [E-Book] by edited by Allan S. Gilbert
Publication Date: 2016
Archaeology in America [PRINT] 4 volumes; This reference resource describes archaeological sites in North America. Each volume concentrates on a specific geographical area, which are subdivided into regions. Each geographical region has an introduction. Articles cover archaeological sites, listed in alphabetical order. The encyclopedia includes: bibliographies and information about public access for each site discussed; illustrations and photographs; and maps.
Call Number: Main Collection E 159.5 A68 2009
Publication Date: 2008
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers [E-Book]
Publication Date: 1999
Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians [PRINT] Until the last two centuries, the human landscapes of the Great Plains were shaped solely by Native Americans, and since then the region has continued to be defined by the enduring presence of its Indigenous peoples. The Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians offers a sweeping overview, across time and space, of this story in 123 entries drawn from the acclaimed Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, together with 23 new entries focusing on contemporary Plains Indians, and many new photographs. nbsp; Here are the peoples, places, processes, and events that have shaped lives of the Indians of the Great Plains from the beginnings of human habitation to the present—not only yesterday’s wars, treaties, and traditions but also today’s tribal colleges, casinos, and legal battles. In addition to entries on familiar names from the past like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, new entries on contemporary figures such as American Indian Movement spiritual leader Leonard Crow Dog and activists Russell Means and Leonard Peltier are included in the volume. Influential writer Vine Deloria Sr., Crow medicine woman Pretty Shield, Nakota blues-rock band Indigenous, and the Nebraska Indians baseball team are also among the entries in this comprehensive account. Anyone wanting to know about Plains Indians, past and present, will find this an authoritative and fascinating source.
Call Number: UofL Main Collection E 78 G73 E52 2007
Publication Date: 2007
Atlas of the Great Plains [PRINT] 2011 Booklist Editor's Choice, reference category The Great Plains, stretching northward from Texas into Canada, is a region that has been understudied and overlooked. The Atlas of the Great Plains, however, brings a new focus to North America’s midcontinent. With more than three hundred original full-color maps, accompanied by extended explanatory text, this collection chronicles the history of the Great Plains, including political and social developments. Far more than simply the geography of the region, this atlas explores a myriad of subjects from Native Americans to settlement patterns, agricultural ventures to voting records, and medical services to crime rates. These detailed and beautifully designed maps convey the significance of the region, capturing the essence of its land and life. The only current and comprehensive atlas of the Great Plains region, it is also the first atlas to include both the United States and Canada, showing the region’s full length and breadth.
Call Number: UofL Main Collection G 1382 S1 L2 2011
Publication Date: 2011

General Encycopedias & Reference Works: North American History

Examples of resources that provide background information on a variety of general topics in early North American history:

The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology [E-Resource] by Chris Gosden (Editor); Rosemary A. Joyce (Editor); Barry Cunliffe (Editor)
Publication Date: 2012 (online)
Part VI includes worldwide regional overviews
Historical Archaeology, 3rd Ed. [E-Resource] by Charles E. Orser, Jr. This book provides a short, readable introduction to historical archaeology, which focuses on modern history in all its fascinating regional, cultural, and ethnic diversity. Accessibly covering key methods and concepts, including fundamental theories and principles, the history of the field, and basic definitions, Historical Archaeology also includes a practical look at career prospects for interested readers. Orser discusses central topics of archaeological research such as time and space, survey and excavation methods, and analytical techniques, encouraging readers to consider the possible meanings of artifacts. Drawing on the author's extensive experience as an historical archaeologist, the book's perspective ranges from the local to the global in order to demonstrate the real importance of this subject to our understanding of the world in which we live today. The third edition of this popular textbook has been significantly revised and expanded to reflect recent developments and discoveries in this exciting area of study. Each chapter includes updated case studies which demonstrate the research conducted by professional historical archaeologists. With its engaging approach to the subject, Historical Archaeology continues to be an ideal resource for readers who wish to be introduced to this rapidly expanding global field.
Publication Date: 2017
World Prehistory and Archaeology, 5th Ed. [PRINT] by Michael Chazan World Prehistory and Archaeology provides an integrated discussion of world prehistory and archaeological methods, presenting an up-to-date perspective on what we know about our human prehistory and how we come to know it. A cornerstone of World Prehistory and Archaeology is the discussion of prehistory as an active process of discovery. Methodological issues are addressed throughout the text to engage readers. Archaeological methods are introduced, following which the question of how we know the past is discussed. This fifth edition involves readers in the current state of archaeological research, revealing how archaeologists work and interpret what they find. Through the coverage of various new research, author Michael Chazan shows that archaeology is truly a global discipline. In this edition there is a particular emphasis on the relevance of archaeology to contemporary society and to the major issues that face us today. This edition will provide students with a necessary grounding in the fundamentals of archaeology, before engaging them with the work that goes into understanding world prehistory. They will be given the tools to place this knowledge in the context of the modern world, acknowledging the relevance of archaeology to the concerns of today.
Publication Date: 2021
Britannica academic [E-Resource]
Search using the names of the cultural groups or regions of interest for general background information.
Encyclopedia of Prehistory [PRINT]
Call Number: UofL Main Collection GN 710 E53 2001
Publication Date: 2001
World History Encyclopedia
Call Number: Main Collection D 9 W67 2011
Publication Date: 2008

Archaeology of the Great Plains: Overview

Plains in AMERICAS, NORTH from Encyclopedia of Archaeology, The North American Great Plains has been occupied for the past 11 000 years or more by a succession of cultures that began by adapting to the semi-arid setting of this great interior grassland in the closing years of the last ice age. Early cultures hunted mammoths, giant bison, and other megafauna. Following the disappearance of megafauna the preferred game animal was bison, which reduced in size over time to its present size. Postglacial cultures developed the tipi and other regional specialties, and devised means to kill large numbers of bison. More...

SOURCE: Wood, W. R. (2008). Plains. In D. M. Pearsall (Ed.), Encyclopedia of archaeology. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science & Technology.

Archaeology Dictionaries

Examples of resources that explain terminology used within the discipline:

The Oxford Companion to Archaeology (2nd edition) [Electronic Resource]
Publication Date: 2012
Historical Dictionary of North American Archaeology
Call Number: UofL Reference Collection E 61 H57 1988
Publication Date: 1988

Archaeology -- Great Plains Region

Specialized Encyclopedias & Reference Works

General Encycopedias & Reference Works: North American History

Archaeology of the Great Plains: Overview

Archaeology Dictionaries

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