From Mounds to Mammoths: A Field Guide to Oklahoma Prehistory

by Claudette Marie Gilbert, Robert L. Brooks

For most Oklahomans the story of the state begins with the removal of the Five Tribes to Indian Territory early in the nineteenth century. In fact, Oklahoma has a rich, diverse, and enduring native cultural heritage. Using recent discoveries and information unearthed since its original 1980 publication, From Mounds to Mammoths presents Oklahoma’s prehistory from thirty thousand years ago to historic contact times.

Claudette Gilbert and Robert L. Brooks take the reader back thousands of years to experience life on the plains. They discuss the Cooper site, which has given us valuable insights into Folsom technology, hunting practices, and ritual. Here archaeologists discovered a thunderbolt painted on a bison skull-the earliest evident of artwork in North America. The story of Spiro Mounds, a more recent culture, reveals village life in the Arkansas River basin 800-1000 years ago.

Told chronologically with vivid chapter-opening vignettes, From Mounds to Mammoths provides a fascinating glimpse into the variety of Oklahoma native cultures.

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[D.E. Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Book, From Mounds To Mammoths was a great read. For anyone interested in the prehistoric eras of Oklahoma or native American history, this book is a fantastic starter. It gives the reader a very good understanding of what it must have been like to live in those times. The history and archaeology are respectably interspersed, keeping the language of the book both informative from an academic view, and understandable for just about anyone. There are numerous illustrations, including an Oklahoma map, showing the approximate location of some of the sites. The absolute best, though, was the discovery of Oklahoma's own Henge, a structure that encompassed about an acre of land in one ancient village. Claudette Marie Gilbert and Robert L. Brooks have created a fascinating accessible volume that will both enlighten and entertain. I hope you have as much fun reading this informative volume as I have!