The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks

America's incredible mound-building cultures erected the first mounds over 6500 years ago. It is believed that over 1 million mounds once existed, but today, perhaps only 100,000 remain. The ancient mounds and enormous earthworks associated with them are one of the most unappreciated archaeological treasures in the world. America has the largest and most complex formations of geometric earthworks in the world and the largest mound (near St. Louis) has a base larger than the Great Pyramid. This comprehensive text is a guidebook to mounds in 41 states and contains over 1100 site descriptions, many of which are large mound complexes with museums. The sites are arranged alphabetically by state and include Archaic, Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian sites. It is the most comprehensive guide to America's mounds and earthworks in existence. The book includes nearly 900 photos, maps, & illustrations and has 80 site reconstructions made by archaeological illustrators. Many rare photos of stone chambers and artifacts found in excavated mounds are included. An extensive index of 2300 entries listed by state contains all site and mound names along with locations. The book is a large hardcover (8.75 x 11.25) with green and red cloth with gold foil stamping (no paper jacket). This is a revised, updated, and enhanced version of the first edition.