Recreating Hopewell

Two thousand years ago, the Hopewell culture dominated much of eastern North America and left behind earthworks and other artifacts that continue to fascinate archaeologists. Recreating Hopewell — the first comprehensive overview of Hopewell archaeology published in a generation — represents more than two decades of new research into the vast world of the moundbuilders. This book includes contributions from scholars working at sites in the Hopewell “core” region of Ohio as well as archaeologists based in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. Their results are based on cultural resource management excavations and new analytical techniques, such as the remote sensing of unexcavated sites and chemical sourcing of raw materials.

While providing new insights from each Hopewell region’s lithic, ceramic, faunal and botanical data, this new research clearly shows the extent to which the Hopewell cultures differed across the midcontinent. Giving Hopewell a broader context than previously understood, the authors tie prehistory to historic Indian activities, beliefs and customs. Scholars interested in the archaeology of eastern North America, especially those working on the juncture of ceremony and settlement, will welcome this important volume.