A Prehistory of South America: ancient cultural diversity on the least known continent

Description

"A Prehistory of South America is an overview of the ancient and historic native cultures of the entire continent of South America based on the most recent archaeological investigations. For more than 12,000 years, South American cultures ranged from mobile hunters and gatherers to rulers and residents of colossal cities. In the process, native South American societies made advancements in agriculture and economic systems and created great works of art-in pottery, textiles, precious metals and stone-that still awe the modern eye. Organized in broad chronological periods, A Prehistory of South America explores these diverse human achievements, emphasizing the many adaptations of peoples from a continent-wide perspective. Moore examines the archaeologies of societies across South America, from the arid deserts of the Pacific coast and the frigid Andean highlands to the humid lowlands of the Amazon Basin and the fjords of Patagonia and beyond. Illustrated in full color, accessible to undergraduate and beginning graduate students, and suitable for an educated general reader interested in the Precolumbian peoples of South America, A Prehistory of South America is a long-overdue addition to the literature"--;Preface: A Golden Age of South American Archaeology -- Archaeology in South America : A Brief Historical Overview -- The Brave New World : Environmental Diversity in South America -- The Last Homeland : The Peopling of South America -- Archaic Adaptations -- Origins and Consequences of Agriculture in South America -- Social Complexities : Part I -- Social Complexities : Part II -- Regional Florescences -- Age of States and Empires -- Twilight of Prehistory -- Empire of the Four Quarters -- After Prehistory.