Paleoindian Geoarchaeology of the Southern High Plains (Paperback, New)

"All archaeologists whose work deals even in part with the terminal Pleistocene-- early Holocene should read this book thoroughly; there simply is no better treatment of the geoarch-aeological record of that period. Interested amateurs also will enjoy it." -- Choice "This book will be of use for years to come as the key source for the early geoarchaeology of the region." -- Jack L. Hofman, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Kansas

The Southern High Plains of northwestern Texas and eastern New Mexico are rich in Paleoindian archaeological sites, including such well-known ones as Clovis, Lubbock Lake, Plainview, and Midland. These sites have been extensively researched over decades, not only by archaeologists but also by geoscientists, whose studies of soils and stratigraphy have yielded important information about cultural chronology and paleoenvironments across the region.

In this book, Vance T. Holliday synthesizes the data from these earlier studies with his own recent research to offer the most current and comprehensive overview of the geoarchaeology of the Southern High Plains during the earliest human occupation. He delves into twenty sites in depth, integrating new and old data on site geomorphology, stratigraphy, soils, geochronology, and paleoenvironments. He also compares the Southern High Plains sites with other sites across the Great Plains, for a broader chronological and paleoenvironmental perspective.

With over ninety photographs, maps, cross sections, diagrams, and artifact drawings, this book will be essential reading for geoarchaeologists, archaeologists, and Quaternary geoscientists, as well as avocational archaeologists who takepart in Paleoindian site study throughout the American West.