The Artifacts of Pecos: (Foundations of Archaeology)

'The Artifacts of Pecos has been widely recognized as a groundbreaking volume by one of the most influential figures in modern American Archaeology.' So writes Fred Wendorf in his new foreword to this classic work published in 1932 by Yale University Press, which he goes on to describe as 'the first description of the complete artifact inventory of a major archaeological site in the Southwest, and possibly in the New World.'

Table of Contents:
Foreword to the Percheron Press Edition, Fred Wendorf Introduction 1. Stone 2. Clay 3. Shell 4. Bone 5. Bone Working 6. Artifacts of Bone 7. Musical Instruments 8. Tubular Beads and Tubes 9. Antler 10. Wood 11. Basketry, Textiles, Etc. 12. Foodstuffs 13. Miscellaneous Perishable Objects 14. Objects of European Manufacture 15. Addendum, Note on Spindel-Whorl Bibliography

About the Author :
Alfred V. Kidder was the foremost American archaeologist of his day invovled in the study of the southwestern United States and Mesoamerica, and a force behind the the first comprehensive, systematic approach to North American archaeology.

Review :
'The republication of The Artifacts of Pecos is a fitting tribute to the durability of Alfred Vincent Kidder’s intellectual legacy in archaeology. This classic monograph remains required reading for all students of the past. A true standard of archaeological description and technique.' (Michael Adler, Southern Methodist University) 'The Artifacts of Pecos set the standard for later works and was seminal in the development of southwestern archaeology. It remains today both a basic reference for the northern Rio Grande and a shining example of clarity, reason, and felicitous expression of archaeological thought.' (Stephen H. Lekson, University of Colorado) 'Some of the key research questions relating to the late prehistoric Southwest addressed by Kidder in his groundbreaking study of Pecos Pueblo, and documented in part in his outstanding volume on the Pecos artifacts, are still with us today. The republication of The Artifacts of Pecos will add new impetus to the discussion and perhaps the solution to these major issues.' (Douglas W. Schwartz, School of American Research) 'Kidder’s pioneering study of the Pecos artifacts was the first systematic analysis of prehistoric southwestern tools. It became the model on which all later efforts—such as Woodbury’s Awatovi and Haury’s Ventana Cave—were based, and it continues to provide insight and guidance to present-day scholars.' (Raymond H. Thompson, University of Arizona) 'The lasting contribution of the Pecos project was its sheer audacity. Kidder initiated one of the most extensive excavations of a single archaeological site ever undertaken in the Southwest. What archaeologists really admire about Kidder’s work is its ambitious optimism about what scientific archaeology could be.' (W. H. Wills, University of New Mexico)