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The Caribbean before Columbus
William F. Keegan
€ 76.94
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Description for The Caribbean before Columbus
Paperback. The Caribbean before Columbus is a new synthesis of the region's insular history based on the authors' 55 years of research in the Bahamas, Lesser and Greater Antilles. The presentation operates on multiple scales, and individual sites highlight specific issues. Num Pages: 360 pages, 25 b/w line drawings; 42 b/w halftones. BIC Classification: 1KJ; 3H; HBJK; HBLC; HDD; JHMC. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 235 x 156 x 23. Weight in Grams: 476.
The Caribbean before Columbus is a new synthesis of the region's insular history. It combines the results of the authors' 55 years of archaeological research on almost every island in the three archipelagoes with that of their numerous colleagues and collaborators. The presentation operates on multiple scales: temporal, spatial, local, regional, environmental, social, and political. In addition, individual sites are used to highlight specific issues. For the first time, the complete histories of the major islands and island groups are elucidated, and new insights are gained through inter-island comparisons. The book takes a step back from current debates regarding nomenclature to offer a common foundation and the opportunity for a fresh beginning. In this regard the original concepts of series and ages provide structure, and the diversity of expressions subsumed by these concepts is embraced. Historical names, such as Taino and Lucayan, are avoided. The authors challenge the long-held conventional wisdom concerning island colonization, societal organization, interaction and transculturation, inter- and intra-regional transactions (exchange), and other basic elements of cultural development and change. The emphasis is on those elements that unite the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles, and Greater Antilles as a culture area, and also on their divergent pathways. Colonization is presented as a multifaceted wave-like process. Continuing ties to the surrounding mainland are highlighted. Interactions between residents and new colonists are recognized, with individual histories contingent on these historical interactions. New solutions are offered to the Huecoid problem the Carib problem, the Taino problem, and the evolution of social complexity, especially in Puerto Rico.These solutions required a rethinking of social organization and its expression on the landscape. There comes a time when the old foundation can no longer support the structure that was built upon it; this is that time.
Product Details
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2017
Condition
New
Weight
475g
Number of Pages
360
Place of Publication
New York, United States
ISBN
9780190605254
SKU
V9780190605254
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 15 to 20 working days
Ref
99-9
About William F. Keegan
William F. Keegan is Curator of Caribbean Archaeology (FLMNH) and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Florida. He also serves as Associate Director for Research and Collections. He co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Archaeology (OUP, 2013). Corinne L. Hofman is Professor of Caribbean Archaeology and Dean Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, as well as a co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Archaeology (OUP, 2013).
Reviews for The Caribbean before Columbus
The most current and comprehensive survey of the pre-colonial archaeology of the region, this book presents for the first time the complete histories of the major islands and island groups. It is thorough yet accessible, an immersive intellectual exploration of a world before its 'discovery'.
Current World Archaeology
This is a very significant contribution to Caribbean archaeology. Currently there is not a book out there that deals with as many new interpretations and frameworks or that clearly explains where things have gone wrong in the past. I consider this book to be essential for understanding Caribbean archaeology at any level from undergraduate to professional. ... I find the volume well written in a clear style and with good organisation. There are a lot of complex issues discussed but it is not by any means a difficult read. This is the best work I have found for teaching a senior level undergraduate seminar.
Richard T. Callaghan, International Journal of Maritime History
In conclusion, I commend the authors for taking on an extensive and intensive overview of the ancient Caribbean and expressing new ideas... The book will be a good source of information and references for professionals, as well as for graduate and undergraduate students.
Antonio Curet, Antiquity
An important feature of the book is its use of specific archaeological sites to illustrate important points. ... Summing Up: Essential. All university and four-year college libraries.
R. Berleant-Schiller, CHOICE
This work offers new insights and alternative theories to refine or replace traditional and more commonly cited explanations of prehistory throughout the Caribbean region. It will inspire discussion and debate among scholars, and stimulate new generations of Caribbean researchers on prehistoric societies in the Caribbean. This volume serves as an important and useful tool for educators and students, and an essential reference in Caribbean prehistoric research.
Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton, Cayman Islands National Museum, Grand Cayman, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology
Current World Archaeology
This is a very significant contribution to Caribbean archaeology. Currently there is not a book out there that deals with as many new interpretations and frameworks or that clearly explains where things have gone wrong in the past. I consider this book to be essential for understanding Caribbean archaeology at any level from undergraduate to professional. ... I find the volume well written in a clear style and with good organisation. There are a lot of complex issues discussed but it is not by any means a difficult read. This is the best work I have found for teaching a senior level undergraduate seminar.
Richard T. Callaghan, International Journal of Maritime History
In conclusion, I commend the authors for taking on an extensive and intensive overview of the ancient Caribbean and expressing new ideas... The book will be a good source of information and references for professionals, as well as for graduate and undergraduate students.
Antonio Curet, Antiquity
An important feature of the book is its use of specific archaeological sites to illustrate important points. ... Summing Up: Essential. All university and four-year college libraries.
R. Berleant-Schiller, CHOICE
This work offers new insights and alternative theories to refine or replace traditional and more commonly cited explanations of prehistory throughout the Caribbean region. It will inspire discussion and debate among scholars, and stimulate new generations of Caribbean researchers on prehistoric societies in the Caribbean. This volume serves as an important and useful tool for educators and students, and an essential reference in Caribbean prehistoric research.
Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton, Cayman Islands National Museum, Grand Cayman, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology