Well before European contact, North American cities and villages were bound together by an intricate trade network. Today, Spiro Mound in rural Oklahoma is a few piles of dirt, not on the road to anywhere. But at the time of the Mississippian civilization, about a thousand years ago, it was one of the largest cities in the world. With the controlled use of fire, Native Americans had transformed thick forests into open woodlands and expanded the ranges of prairies. Through organized hunting, Natives controlled the populations of prey animals such as passenger pigeons, and when Native populations grew large enough, they developed agriculture including irrigated crops, and even orchards.
In this fascinating and overdue book, author Stanley A. Rice shows readers the Pre-Columbian landscape of America that has been largely forgotten.
Well before European contact, North American cities and villages were bound together by an intricate trade network. Today, Spiro Mound in rural Oklahoma is a few piles of dirt, not on the road to anywhere. But at the time of the Mississippian civilization, about a thousand years ago, it was one of the largest cities in the world. With the controlled use of fire, Native Americans had transformed thick forests into open woodlands and expanded the ranges of prairies. Through organized hunting, Natives controlled the populations of prey animals such as passenger pigeons, and when Native populations grew large enough, they developed agriculture including irrigated crops, and even orchards.
In this fascinating and overdue book, author Stanley A. Rice shows readers the Pre-Columbian landscape of America that has been largely forgotten.
![Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created the Pre-Columbian World and What We Can Learn From It](http://img.images-bn.com/static/redesign/srcs/images/grey-box.png?v11.10.4)
Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created the Pre-Columbian World and What We Can Learn From It
242![Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created the Pre-Columbian World and What We Can Learn From It](http://img.images-bn.com/static/redesign/srcs/images/grey-box.png?v11.10.4)
Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created the Pre-Columbian World and What We Can Learn From It
242Hardcover
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781493088669 |
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Publisher: | Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. |
Publication date: | 06/03/2025 |
Pages: | 242 |
Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d) |