Mound-Builders

Smyth, William J.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 35K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Mound-Builders by William J. SmythAuthor: Smyth, William J.,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Mar 12, 2006

Editor's review

This book discusses the mound builders of eastern North America and belongs to the popular literature on early American history and archaeology. The author surveys the distribution and forms of mound sites and the debates surrounding them, reflecting how scholars from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century understood and imagined such remains. Its value lies mainly at the level of historical sources: it presents the interpretive frameworks and discursive conventions popular at the time and may be consulted by readers studying the history of American archaeology, the history of Native American studies, and the evolution of scientific ideas. The text is in English, and its argument bears the marks of its era; some inferences have since been superseded by modern archaeology. It should be read as a historical document rather than as a current archaeological conclusion. It is suitable for readers interested in Native American remains and early archaeological writing, and also as case material for discussing “evidence and interpretation” in courses on the history of science.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying the history of American archaeology or the evolution of scientific ideas
Enthusiasts with a preliminary interest in North American Native American mound sites
Teachers and students who need early textual case studies in courses on the history of science or history
English-language readers who want to understand the style of nineteenth-century popular archaeological writing

Not a good fit for

Those seeking authoritative conclusions from contemporary archaeology and the latest excavation reports
Readers expecting an illustrated guide to sites or a travel guide
General readers who have difficulty reading English and need an introductory book in Chinese

Reading tips

First understand the basic background of the mound-builder debate, then read the main text; this makes it easier to discern the author’s period stance.
While reading, mark the types of evidence the author relies on and distinguish field observation from speculative argument.
Compare with general histories of modern archaeology to sort out which views have been revised or overturned.
If used for course discussion, select the chapters on the origins of the remains for small-group analysis.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which region’s mound sites does this book discuss?

The book discusses mound-type remains commonly found in North America, especially in the eastern United States, covering their distribution, forms, and the debates in the scholarship of the time over the identity of their builders. The specific scope should be based on the original discussion; readers can locate the relevant regional content by consulting the table of contents and chapter titles.

Do the archaeological views in the book still hold today?

They cannot be adopted wholesale. The book is an early discussion with clear period limitations, and some inferences about the identity of the mound builders have been corrected by modern archaeology. Its value lies in presenting the cognitive framework and mode of debate of the time, making it suitable as material for the history of science rather than as a contemporary archaeological conclusion.

Can someone without a background in archaeology understand it?

It can be read, but background knowledge is needed. The types of remains and academic debates discussed in the book are unfamiliar to beginners; it is advisable to first read a Chinese overview of North American mound sites to establish basic concepts before reading the original text, which will make it easier to follow the author’s line of argument.

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About the author

Smyth, William J. Author

William J. Smyth is the author of Mound-Builders. Publicly available information about his life is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and professional career are not reliably documented. The library holds only one work by him, and no common classification is given for it. Judging from the surviving bibliographic record, his writing centers on the "mound builders" of North America as an archaeological and cultural subject, falling within history or archaeology written for general readers. Works of this kind typically use surviving earthworks as clues to introduce the social organization, religious customs, and engineering capabilities of the peoples concerned, and to survey scholarly explanations for their origins and decline. The book's specific contents and academic reception still require verification, and readers should check the original edition and publication details when citing it, so as to avoid confusing authors of the same name or similarly titled books.