Stone Art

Fowke, Gerard, 1855-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 302K words
Chapters: 31

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.Stone Art by Gerard FowkeAuthor: Fowke, Gerard, 1855-1933,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Dec 26, 2015

Editor's review

Gerald Fowke's Stone Art is an early overview of Native American stone tool technology, a public-domain work in American history and archaeology. Its value lies not in proposing new theories but in its concise survey of the observational framework for stone tools, artifact types, and methods of manufacture, reflecting the state of knowledge and classificatory habits of American archaeology from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. For today's reader it is more a document in the history of the discipline: one can see how early researchers described materials and distinguished types, and gain a sense of the limitations of field methods and terminology of the time. It should be read as a historical document rather than a modern archaeological guide; where classification and dating judgments are concerned, contemporary research should be consulted.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Native American material culture and stone tool technology
Students and teachers of the history of archaeology or the history of museum classification
Readers who enjoy early public-domain field descriptions and artifact notes

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking modern archaeology textbooks or the latest excavation reports
Readers expecting extensive plates and detailed artifact measurements
General readers looking only for light, narrative storytelling

Reading tips

Begin with the opening general division of stone tool categories, then skip through specific passages by artifact type.
Keep pen and paper handy to note terminology and classificatory logic for comparison with modern archaeological classification.
Read alongside museum collection catalogs or introductory archaeology books to make up for the lack of plates and measurements in the original.

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

Does this text include illustrations?

Judging from the public-domain text information, it is primarily verbal description, and complete plates should not be expected. To understand artifact forms, it is advisable to read alongside museum online collections or archaeological catalogs.

Is the content outdated?

As an early overview, its classification and dating judgments carry the limitations of their era and cannot be taken directly as modern conclusions. It remains, however, useful material for observing the early knowledge framework of archaeology and is suited to historical reading.

Do I need a background in archaeology to read it?

No specialized background is required, but artifact types and manufacturing terminology are involved. Beginners may first read introductory chapters on archaeology and then return to the original for smoother comprehension.

Comments

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About the author

Fowke, Gerard, 1855-1933 Author · American · 1855–1933

Fowke, Gerard (1855–1933) was an American archaeologist. Public information about his life is limited, and his research centered on the prehistoric mounds and Native American cultural remains of the Ohio River Valley. Two of his works are included in this collection, namely Archeological Investigations and Stone Art. These works show that he focused on the material evidence left by Native Americans and valued the investigation and documentation of sites and stone artifacts. His writing, grounded in field observation, reflects the emphasis on recording and classification characteristic of early American archaeology. His work offers useful reference material for later study of the prehistoric cultures and Native American material remains of the Ohio River Valley, and holds a place in the tradition of early archaeological investigation in North America.