Archaeology of the Southeastern United States : Paleoindian to World War I

Rating:
Summary: Well organized and comprehensive.
Review: As an archaeologist FROM the southeast but TRAINED in Arizona, this text has been a great reference for me in that it has given me a quick overview while leading me towards the more esoteric sources in an area that I find fascinating but difficult to study from 2,000 miles away. In fact, it greatly helped me get organized to pass my MA's exams at the Univ. of Calif. Highly recomended if you already have an interest in the subject, otherwise, best start somewhere else.

Rating:
Summary: a good starting point
Review: Bense writes in a simple, clear style that is easy to understand. Unfortunately the figures referenced in the text are rarely on the same or facing page, so you must flip back and forth to follow the discussion.

Because the book covers a vast timespan each cultural period and site only receives a few pages coverage. While this is great as a survey or reference, I found it difficult to get a good picture of the people who produced the sites. However I do have a much better understanding of the scope of native settlement in the Southeast on which to base further study.