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Archaeology & Anthropology

See also: Paleontology.

Selected Books - Websites

Selected Books

For more library resources browse the subject headings Archaeology.

The First Americans Adovasio, James
The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery
James M. Adovasio, director of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute, achieved world acclaim as an archaeologist in the 1970s with his excavation of Meadowcroft Rockshelter, 30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Meadowcroft has been recognized as the earliest well-dated archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere, with evidence of human habitation dating to 16,000 years ago.
Bones: Discovering the First Americans Dewar, Elaine
Bones: Discovering the First Americans (2002)
Dewar, a Canadian investigative journalist, interviews the scientists involved in the battle over who were the first Americans.
Riddle of the Bones Downey, Roger
Riddle of the Bones: Politics, Science, Race, and the Story of the Kennewick Man (2000)
From its discovery in the Columbia River shallows in 1996, reporter Roger Downey chronicles the epic adventures of the skeleton called "Kennewick Man" and the controversies over how the Americas first came to be settled & by whom.
Floods, Famines, and Emperors Fagan, Brian M.
Floods, Famines, and Emperors: El Niņo and the Fate of Civilizations
The first major trade book on El Nino is not a mere summary of current knowledge but a work at the cutting edge of archaeology. It integrates climate science, archaeology, history & superb writing in a compelling new view of how climate affects the course of history.
From Stonehenge to Samarkand Fagan, Brian M.
From Stonehenge to Samarkand: an Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing
A noted archaeologist and popular writer offers an engaging historical account of the enduring love of ancient architecture--the irresistible impulse to visit strange lands in search of lost cities and forgotten monuments.
The Great Journey: The Peopling of Ancient America Fagan, Brian M.
The Great Journey: The Peopling of Ancient America (2004)
First published in 1987, The Great Journey tells the story of the search for the first Americans--one of archaeology's great controversies. The 2004 edition is an enhanced edition beginning with an update on the debates and discoveries that have taken place since the late 1980s. Fagan presents the latest archaeological findings on both sides of the Bering Strait, new genetic and linguistic research that amplifies earlier theories, and he assesses the importance of global warming to first settlement.

Websites

Pittsburgh Region

  • Army Corps of Engineers: Prehistory and Cultural Resources
    http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/lmon/arch1.htm
    Learn about current excavations at the Historic Harmony Brick Works under the direction of the Pittsburgh District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The site dates back to 6000 BC when it was an island in the Ohio River. At this Corps of Engineers website you can also learn about the Lower Mon Project plans to modernize locks and dams along the Lower Monongahela River.

  • Meadowcroft Rock Shelter
    http://meadowcroft.pghhistory.org/
    Meadowcroft Rockshelter, located south of Pittsburgh, represents the oldest dated and longest continual human use of a particular site in eastern North America. Radiocarbon dates for the earliest human occupation levels are 12,000 B.C. and may be as far as 17,000 B.C.

  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The canal that made Pittsburgh great
    http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/19990516feik7.asp
    An article from May 16, 1999 about the remnants of the Pennsylvania Canal from the mid-1800s on Pittsburgh's North Side.

  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Westmoreland County archaeological site offers clues to region's past
    http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04265/382580.stm
    Tuesday, September 21, 2004. Information about the donation of an archaeological site in Ligonier (Geisey site) on Loyalhanna Creek to the Archaeological Conservancy. "According to an announcement published in the fall issue of American Archaeological Quarterly, archaeologists think Geisey was a village of the Early to Middle Woodland Period, belonging to a tribe that thrived 6,000 years ago in what is now Pennsylvania and Ohio." (PG)

Pennsylvania

  • Mercyhurst Anthropological Institute
    http://mai.mercyhurst.edu/
    Look at their "Current Research" for research by J. M. Adovasio on the Meadowcroft Rock Shelter in southwestern Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania Archaeological Council
    http://home.earthlink.net/~pxxmiller/
    The Pennsylvania Archaeological Council (PAC) is a statewide organization of professional archaeologists dedicated to promoting Pennsylvania archaeology.

  • Pennsylvania Archaeology
    http://www.paarchaeology.state.pa.us/
    This website offers an overview of Pennsylvania Archaeology for the public and text and lesson plans for students grades 4-8.

  • The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc.
    http://www.pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com/
    Many of the events and activities posted here are sponsored by the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) and SPA Chapters. Includes information about the 4 local chapters: Allegheny No.1, Ohio Valley No. 22, Somerset No. 20, and Westmoreland No.23.

Nearby States

  • Ohio Archaeological Council
    http://www.ohioarchaeology.org/
    The Ohio Archaeological Council is a private, non-profit corporation registered with the State of Ohio in 1975 as a charitable scientific and educational organization promoting the advancement of archaeology in Ohio. Look at their "Research" section for information on archaeological sites in Ohio.

United States

  • American Anthropological Association
    http://www.aaanet.org/
    The American Anthropological Association (AAA), the primary professional society of anthropologists in the United States since its founding in 1902, is the world's largest professional organization of individuals interested in anthropology. Their Anthropology in Education section highlights educational programs integrating anthropology into the school curriculum.

  • American Archaeology (The Archaeological Conservancy)
    http://www.americanarchaeology.com/
    Published by The Archaeological Conservancy (Albuquerque, New Mexico), American Archaeology is a quarterly consumer magazine devoted to archaeology in the United States, with additional coverage of Canada and Latin America. The Archaeological Conservancy, established in 1980, is a national non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving the best of U.S. remaining archaeological sites. They have a regional office in Ohio.

  • Anthropology in the News
    http://anthropology.tamu.edu/news.htm
    Links to an extensive collection of current news articles from a variety of news sources related to anthropology. From Texas A & M University Anthropology Department.

  • Archaeological Institute of America
    http://www.archaeological.org/
    The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. The Institute is a nonprofit group founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. Today, the AIA has nearly 9,000 members belonging to 102 local societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas.
    • Archaeology
      http://www.archaeology.org/
      An Official Publication of the Archaeological Institute of America that offers some online feature articles.

  • The Archaeology Channel
    http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
    Watch streaming videos of archaeology documentaries provided by the Archaeological Legacy Institute, whose goal is to make more people aware of the need to preserve archaeological site.

  • Biblical Archaeological Society
    http://www.archaeologyodyssey.org/
    Includes articles from their publications, including Archaeology Odyssey. Also includes a list of digs from various organizations that one can join.

  • Bradshaw Foundation: Journey of Mankind: Peopling of the World
    http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/
    An interactive map (using Adobe Flash) that charts the global journey of man over the last 160,000 years from his origin in Africa, showing the interaction of migration and climate.

  • Dig Magazine
    http://www.digonsite.com/
    The archaeology magazine for kids published by the Archaeological Institute of America, the country's oldest and largest archaeological society. Their website includes extensive links, a glossary, factoids, a quiz, and an ask a question page.

  • Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc.
    http://www.famsi.org/
    The Foundation (FAMSI) was created in 1993 to foster increased understanding of ancient Mesoamerican cultures and assist and promote qualified scholars of Mesoamerica in anthropology, archaeology, art history, epigraphy, ethnography, ethnohistory, linguistics, and related fields. Mesoamerica (Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico) from 1500 BC to 1519 AD is one of six cradles of early civilization. See their "Research" section for project information.

  • Mississippian Moundbuilders and their Artifacts
    http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/
    Located in what is now the Midwest and Southeast United States, the Mississippian Culture commenced around AD 900 and lasted until just after the coming of Hernando de Soto in the mid-16th century. For more than half a millenium, the Mississippian people successfully cultivated vast agricultural settlements based on corn, squash and beans, developing a complex and highly organized culture. This website by Anthony Stein of Kansas City, Missouri, offers a description of the culture and pictures of the artifacts found.

  • National Geographic Genographic Project
    https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/
    The National Geographic Society, IBM, geneticist Spencer Wells, and the Waitt Family Foundation have launched the Genographic Project, a five-year effort to collect genetic information, especially from indigenous peoples, in order to trace the prehistoric migrations of humans. It is a controversial effort opposed by the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB).

  • National Park Service: History
    http://www.nps.gov/history/
    Archaeological and historical sites in our National Parks.

  • Passport in Time
    http://www.passportintime.com/
    Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer archaeology and historic preservation program of the USDA Forest Service (FS) that allows you to work with professional archaeologists and historians on projects including archaeological excavation, rock art restoration, survey, archival research, historic structure restoration, gathering oral histories, or writing interpretive brochures.

  • Smithsonian Institution: Department of Anthropology
    http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/
    Their website includes many bibliographies and teaching packets for anthropology.

  • Society for American Archaeology
    http://www.saa.org/
    Their website includes a section for the public which includes information on archaeology month for each state.

  • Society for Commercial Archaeology
    http://www.sca-roadside.org/
    Established in 1977, the SCA is the oldest national organization devoted to the buildings, artifacts, structures, signs, and symbols of the 20th-century commercial landscape, especially roadside structures, like restaurants, drive-ins, etc.