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The Ancient Southwest: A Guide To Archaeological Sites

Author : Gregory McNamee
Published : 2015-01-30

It's a given that archaeological sites hold plenty of potential for visitors interested in history and science, but in many cases there's a bonus: the physical settings, structures and even the artifacts themselves can make great subjects for some truly beautiful photographs.

In The Ancient Southwest: A Guide to Archaeological Sites, author Gregory McNamee and photographer Larry Lindahl join forces to produce a readable, informative and visually appealing guide to fifty such sites in the American Southwest.

Many of the NPS sites described in the book are very familiar to both serious students of archaeology and casual visitors: Mesa Verde, Bandelier, Dinosaur, Petrified Forest, Canyon De Chelly, Grand Canyon, and more.

The Book Includes Perenial Favorites and Some Relatively Unknown Sites

Other locations included are not as heavily visited, including El Morro National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park and Petroglyph National Monument. Finally, if you're looking for a true "off the pavement" experience, Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico) and Agua Fria National Monument (Arizona) would certainly fit that bill.

The inclusion of Agua Fria and Canyons of the Ancients National Monuments also provides a reminder than not all "national monuments" are administered by the National Park Service; those two locations fall under the purview of the Bureau of Land Management. Some fine sites managed by states, tribes, private organizations, and other federal agencies are also included in the book.

A very readable Introduction offers a brief overview of the people, culture, setting and chronology of what the author dubs The Ancient Southwest, and a full-page map near the front of the book helps you place the sites geographically. Locations covered are divided into sections for each of the four states described in the book: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

The Author Helps You Sort Out "Petroglyphs" and "Petrographs"

If you're not quite sure about the difference between a "metate" and a "midden," or if you get confused about "petroglyph" versus "petrograph," a short glossary offers brief but clear descriptions of some basic terms. Sidebars throughout the book also offer concise but very useful insights into subjects such as "Tree Rings and Archaeology," "The Ancient Southwestern Diet," and "Archaeoastronomy."

Each site listed in the book includes at least a brief description and contact information (address, phone number, and usually a website), while many receive more extensive treatment. Locations such as Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Bandelier National Monument are awarded multiple pages and images.

Photography throughout the book is outstanding. The images are all in color, many cover a full page, and the subjects range from dramatic sunset vistas to macros of individual objects. Details of petroglyphs are clearly visible in several photos that provide a close-up view you'll never experience on site with the unaided human eye.

The format ( 9" x 12" ) and attractive front cover qualify this as a "coffee table book," but at only 96 pages the length of the material won't discourage a casual reader from picking it up. The project is printed on glossy paper with a nice look and feel, but the flexible cover allows the price to be very affordable, especially for a book with this many high-quality color photos.

All in all, this is a great value, and a highly-recommended addition to the personal library of anyone with even a modest interest in either archaeology or the landscapes of the Southwest.

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