This volume covers the human presence in Montana from its beginnings some 15,000 years ago to the establishment of Indian reservations in the 1880s by looking at twelve important archaeological sites. Beginning with the Clovis-culture Anzick site near Livingston, the author shows us the various stages of Native American development, ranging from hunter-gatherers to the introduction of agriculture, and ending with the Euro-American conquest. We look at pictograph sites, buffalo jumps, and the earliest full-time farmers.
U.S. Forest Service archaeologist Carl Davis successfully uses the case studies to weave a coherent tale of thousands of years of Native American history. Richly illustrated with color photos and stunning illustrations by archaeologist-artist Eric S. Carlson, Six Hundred Generations is an outstanding addition to the literature of the region. Everyone interested in the history of the northern Rockies and Great Plains will want to add it to their library. —Mark Michel