When the land was young

by Sharman Apt Russell

Sharman Apt Russell skillfully weaves together the stories of our land - from the ancient burial site of a gentle people who lived in eastern Florida seven to eight thousand years ago, to the intricate geometric earthworks left behind by the Hopewell Indians in Ohio - with the personalities and techniques of present-day archaeology. As Russell explains, American archaeology has reached a crossroads. In a discipline that is caught between science and humanities, ancient sites can be seen as sources of data - or as nonrenewable resources that must be conserved. Moreover, many Native Americans consider excavation to be a form of desecration. Who owns the past? American Archaeology is full of such intense questions, controversies, and emotional debates - from when humans first entered North America to the angst inherent in the field - can we ever really know the past?