This book is a synthesis of recent and current research of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene period (ca. 13,400-9000 B.P.) in the American Southeast, with contributions from expert researchers. In their introduction, the authors address the difficulties and the debates inherent in the study of this time period. Although the most well-known Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene research has been conducted on Clovis or Folsom sites in the Southwest and Great Plains, the Southeast has much to contribute toward answering four fundamental questions: When did people arrive in the Americas? How did they arrive? Who were they? And how did they adapt to the environment? In the subsequent chapters, the editors and their contributors illustrate this point.
The book has three parts. Part One discusses the state of knowledge concerning the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene in eleven Southeastern states. Part Two looks at the Southeast from a regional perspective and discusses current research themes in Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene studies. The book concludes with Part Three, which provides commentary from Vance T. Holiday an expert on this period who works outside of the Southeast, and a chapter by the editors addressing future research.
No book about the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Southeast is complete without a description of the vastly different climate, flora, and fauna. Increased accuracy in dating has helped researchers understand the changes that occurred in the plant and animal communities of this era.
This volume covers all aspects of what researchers have learned about the lives and environment of the people living in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Southeast and the importance of this work in understanding the early prehistory of the Americas. It also emphasizes how much we still don’t know. It’s a fascinating read for those interested in the early prehistory of the Americas and a valuable reference for researchers.
– Jessica Crawford
