When the Land Was Young: Reflections on American Archaeology

By Sharman Apt Russell

Book Overview

An award-winning science and nature writer "presents a lively, confident, and free-flowing history of archaeology in America" (Booklist).

Digging up the relics of the past is not without controversy. With insight and eloquence, Sharman Apt Russell reveals here that when it comes to archaeological study, there is more than one way to examine history.

Raising provocative questions anew about subjects such as the role of humans in the extinction of the large land mammals of the Pleistocene epoch and the repatriation of Native American graves, Russell, winner of the John Burroughs Medal-whose recipients include Rachel Carson-explores the question of what we owe to our past. Through a series of interviews with archaeologists and activists who have helped modernize the field, Russell provides fascinating ideas about the role of archaeology in the stewardship of antiquity, as well as the implications for our common future.

"Russell's work is thoughtful, beautifully written, and well documented. A good way for lay readers to become more informed." -Library Journal

"Agile, cerebral, ruminative, entirely satisfying." -Kirkus Reviews

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1504079361
• ISBN13: 9781504079365
• Release Date: December 2022
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Written with sharp wit and practiced skill

Sharman Russell's When The Land Was Young: Reflections On American Archaeology is an extensive history of archaeology in America, written with sharp wit and practiced skill. When The Land Was Young skillfully examines archaeology not just as the hunt for dusty relics, but as the living, changing study of how people and creatures of the past once lived. Highly entertaining, informative and enjoyable reading for archaeology students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in American archaeology.