The Moundbuilders: Ancient Peoples of Eastern North America

Ancient Peoples and Places

by George R. Milner

Nineteenth-century explorers of the American continent were amazed to find great monuments built of earth in the Eastern Woodlands. Thousands of these mounds were discovered in the plains and forestssome up to a hundred feet high, some overgrown hillocks, some conical, others flat-topped. Speculation was rife as to the identity of the moundbuilders. As George Milner shows, research over the past century demonstrates conclusively that Native Americans built these mounds. In a period ranging from 3000 BC to the sixteenth century AD, North American Indians quarried tons of earth to form the monuments, which vary widely in location, size, and purpose. Some contained thousands of burials, others served as platforms for chiefs' residences, and many were low-lying "effigy" mounds in the form of serpents, panthers, and other sacred beasts. Moundbuilding was a key element in society―how people worshiped gods, buried the dead, remembered their ancestors, and respected their leaders―and many beautiful objects have been found inside the mounds, including artifacts of shell, copper, and mica. The Moundbuilders covers the entire sweep of Eastern Woodlands prehistory, with an emphasis on how societies developed from hunter-gatherers to village farmers and town-dwellers. Great strides have been made in recent research, and many of the most impressive mounds, such as Poverty Point, Cahokia, and Moundville, are described and discussed in detail. This wide-ranging and copiously illustrated book, complete with information on dozens of sites to visit, is the perfect guide to the region for tourists, archaeologists, and students. 153 illustrations, 20 in color

Genres: History, Archaeology, Anthropology, American History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Native American

Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in an area with numerous Ojibway petroglyphs and rock paintings, I have an interest in the art and culture of the Eastern Woodland Indians. Milner's book provides an excellent introduction to the moundbuilders who lived in the United States in the Pre-Columbian era with clear prose and handsome illustrations. This work is intended for the general public but nonetheless provides an excellent foundation for the reading of more academic books later.

[Kaidyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a class on the Indigenous groups of the Northeastern US and found this to such an interesting look into their history and later lives. I thought the final chapter was especially interesting since its touched on much more modern developments but overall the entire book was fantastic.

[Will DeMan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been so spoiled by Douglas Brinkley and other historians who happen to be talented writers. This book is informational, but boy is it dry. The sheer scarcity of monographs on mound builder cultures was the only thing that kept me reading.

[ianridewood is on Storygraph]

(Almost) unbelievable to see a text so recent that still uses outdated names for Indigenous nations, ignores real knowledge from Indigenous peoples about their ancestors' societies, and peddles the now thoroughly-debunked Bering Strait theory.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Add to any knowledge you have on the lives of those who lived in the Mississippi Valley and eastward to the Atlantic before European arrival in this academically thorough yet not pedantic nonfiction book.
It's enlighenting and often myth breaking, a work that would make a good textbook for a college course in anthropology.
There are more than a few sections worthy of pulling out the Hi-Lighter to aid memory, such as, "In contract to commonly held, but overly romanticized, notions of hunter-gatherer life, a person's worth was measured by his or her contributions to group survival."
That issue of survival comes into play over and over, as items uncovered in burial mounds, and even the sites of the mounds and how they were constructed, offer keys to how our predecessors in these forests and prairies lived here for centuries before the Pilgrims landed.
Author George R. Milner deserves credit for not whitewashing the impact of European expansion through woods and fields where native people had survived since the end of the Ice Age, nor does he fail to mention how warring tribes often led to the ouster or disappearance of neighboring clusters of the mound builders.
It is interesting to see the difference in how later generations who settled near mounds have treated them. In one case there is a road going right through the middle of a mound, and in others the mounds have become a source of civic pride, preserved, protected and a resource of local history.
If you're interested in visiting some of these sites, Milner has a five-page guide that lists where mounds can be viewed, including some with museums that offer further information about the people who left the mounds behind.

[Christopher Duston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. I am not really a student of archeology (one college class and a passing interest), but the story told here was incredibly interesting, and just the right level for me. It was well-researched and detailed, but not so much as to detract from the overall presentation and story of the evolution of the mounds - where they came from and why. To me, the most interesting aspect was how the construction of the mounds was linked with the transition between hunter-gather living and agriculture. Since the mounds were stationary markers, they were both the result of, and a facilitation for, a more sedentary lifestyle. But of course, there is a great variety of culture found in the Native American peoples, and that is well-described in this text. I strongly recommend this to anyone with an interest in pre-Columbian Native Americans, archeology, or pre-history in general.

[Christopher Tennant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative book that reads a bit akward and slow. Milner is not a master of diction by any means, and goes to extensive lengths to describe just about every major mound in the east and midwest in extreme detail. A great read for the uninitiated, but be ready to read sentences that are twice the length the could be with a different author.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dense text covering the history of mound building native societies in North America. While I enjoyed learning more about the peoples who inhabited this land pre-European contact, the text was a bit dry at times. However, overall, it is an authoritative source.

[Dejanira Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

*For college*

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview with quite a lot of detail. Not a casual read.

[Tony Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview, but would have benefited from some more maps and charts to keep your Middle Woodlands from your Mississippians.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered about the people and the purposes of the mounds all over the Midwest? Here are the answers. This book is written in an academic style, but is accessible to a lay reader. No fantasy stories, but a review of historical excavations and current available information. The title indicates "Eastern North America", but mounds east of the Mississippi river are the subject matter. Many historical photographs and illustrations are included. Recommended for anyone curious about our preserved mounds.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have preferred it to have been more centralized to Ohio and upper midwest archaeology, but overall very good read. Nothing I didn't learn in undergrad, but a nice refresher nonetheless.