Essential book for my office...
I do a lot of research on Missouri archaeology and this is always the book that I start with to get background information on a site. It is the BIBLE as far as my work is concerned. The bibliography alone is an awesome resource and has been immensely helpful in pointing me to other sources of info. Dr. Wood and Dr. O'Brien are both great, well-respected archaeologists; anything with either of their names on it is gold in my opinion. Both have a writing style that is easy to digest, which is something I always appreciate. I have an office copy and am now ordering one for my personal collection. I have yet to read it cover to cover (will as soon as I get it), but, by simply using the index, it has proven to be an invaluable tool for what I do.
Honesty in Archaeology
This is one of the few books I have read, then reread portions of several times. O'Brien and Wood have done more than justice to their subject; they have created a new direction through their serious consideration of archaeological systemics. I especially appreciate the strong thread of honesty and humility that runs through the entire text. This is particularly evident in the introductory chapter, "Time, Space, and Form in Americanist Archaeology" and the final chapter, "A Further Consideration..." I have long suspected that we know a whole lot less about prehistory in general than the public imagines or scholars would like to believe, and I am frustrated by the plethora of virtually meaningless labels and conjectures in other works. In between the first and last chapters,is the mass of knowledge these gentlemen share. Their story of the peopling of America is fresh and open with consideration for truly iconclastic possibilities. They view the Dalton tradition probably the immediate successor of the Clovis tradition in mid-America, and the discussion is well thought out, but leaves open minds for so much more to be discovered and understood in the future. They bring the reader through the ages in the pivotal state of Missouri by clearly and objectively looking at the evidence. This book is well worth your examination whether you reside in Missouri or elsewhere.
