In Search of the Old Ones: Exploring the Anasazi World of the Southwest

by David Roberts, Kaipo Schwab (Reading)

An exuberant, hands-on fly-on-the-wall account that combines the thrill of canyoneering and rock climbing with the intellectual sleuthing of archaeology to explore the Anasazi. David Roberts describes the culture of the Anasazi--the name means enemy ancestors in Navajo--who once inhabited the Colorado Plateau and whose modern descendants are the Hopi Indians of Arizona. Archaeologists, Roberts writes, have been puzzling over the Anasazi for more than a century, trying to determine the environmental and cultural stresses that caused their society to collapse 700 years ago. He guides us through controversies in the historical record, among them the haunting question of whether the Anasazi committed acts of cannibalism. Roberts's book is full of up-to-date thinking on the culture of the ancient people who lived in the harsh desert country of the Southwest.

1 pages, Audio CD

Published March 1, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
David Roberts is an English editor and novelist.
Roberts worked for several years as a book editor at Chatto and Windus, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and Michael O'Mara Books. Since 2000 he has been a full-time writer, best known for a series of crime novels set during the late 1930s, and featuring the joint adventures of Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne. The novels use actual historical events as a backdrop and there is an Author's Note at the back of the books briefly outlining what happened to the historical characters subsequently.
Publishers Weekly has described his novels as "well-researched" and "first-rate fun".

Reviews

[Scott Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the balance of archeological evaluation and native oral history.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good overview of the evolution of archaeology in American Southwest. Explores all the main theories about the Anasazi or Ancestral Puebloans, while weaving in lots of first person anecdotes from the author’s personal journeys to the region and interviews with professionals and members of Indian communities related to or present in the region. Probably a bit outdated in some ways but still super relevant. Helpful when combined with a road trip to visit the major sites.