Denver: an Archaeological History.

Denver: an Archaeological History. SARAH Sarahor Sarai:see Sara. Sarah(flourished early 2nd millennium BC) In the Hebrew scriptures, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. She was childless until age 90. M. NELSON with K. LYNN BERRY, RICHARD F. CARRILLO, BONNIE J.CLARK, LORI E. RHODES & DEAN SAITTA. Denver: an archaeologicalhistory. x+273 pages, 92 figures. 2001. Philadelphia (PA): University ofPennsylvania Press The University of Pennsylvania Press (or Penn Press) was originally incorporated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on 26 March 1890, and the imprint of the University of Pennsylvania Press first appeared on publications in the closing decade of the nineteenth ; 0-8122-3591-6 hardback $45. This volume is one in the series `The archaeology of great Americancities', a series unique in its presentation of archaeological databased on a single metropolitan area, in this case termed Greater Denver.Nelson, of the University of Denver Background and rankingsThe University was founded in 1864 as Colorado Seminary by John Evans, the former Territorial Governor of Colorado, who had been appointed by US President Abraham Lincoln. (DU), and former students andcolleagues, most with a DU affiliation, prepared this work. The Prefaceseems to indicate that each writer contributed equally, although primeauthorship is given to Nelson. Appealing juxtaposition of images on the dust jacket implies thatthe book embodies a cohesive presentation of prehistoric throughhistoric periods. In reading it, however, one suspects that the`editorial board' of the book had neither a clear picture of thecontent of each chapter and how the chapters should meld, nor standardsof word usage, style and format. This book is written for `readersinterested in archaeology and in Denver's past' (p. 1), yetthroughout, these readers were left wondering if one should be anarchaeologist or a layperson lay��per��son?n.A layman or a laywoman.Noun 1. layperson - someone who is not a clergyman or a professional personlayman, secular to read it. Many terms are defined for thecasual reader (e.g. obsidian hydration hydration/hy��dra��tion/ (hi-dra��shun) the absorption of or combination with water. hy��dra��tionn.1. The addition of water to a chemical molecule without hydrolysis.2. ), and others are used but notnamed (e.g. bioturbation bi��o��tur��ba��tion?n.The stirring or mixing of sediment or soil by organisms, especially by burrowing or boring.[German : bio-, bio- + Latin turb ). Other terms are used repeatedly, with theassumption that the reader knows them, and then finally defined. Chapter 1, `Greater Denver as a region of frontiers andboundaries', provides the theoretical orientation of the volume,defined by Nelson as frontiers and boundaries. Her approach isillustrated by the opening quote that space and history are imaginary,meaning presumably pre��sum��a��ble?adj.That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. `culturally constructed'. Cultural process,cultural ecology and world systems theory are included throughrelatively oblique reference. The theoretical underpinnings of this workvary by circumstance and probably by author, making the statedtheoretical orientation inappropriate. An overview of the geology and environment is presented in chapter2. Nelson divides Greater Denver into environmental subregions, yetthere is no integration of these units under either a framework ofcultural ecology or frontiers and boundaries, so the readers are left towonder why the area is divided. Key to understanding the humanadaptation to the area (as noted in the text) is the confluence ofCherry Creek and the South Platte River South Platte RiverRiver, Colorado and western Nebraska, U.S. The river rises in central Colorado and flows southeast and then northeast across the Nebraska boundary to join the North Platte River and form the Platte River. The South Platte is 442 mi (711 km) long. , though the first labelling ofeither stream on a map is on p. 38. Chapter 3 describes the prehistoric sites of Greater Denver. Nelsonpresents data in chronological units within the environmental subregionsdefined previously. More than one base map is used to present sitelocations by type and period, however. Some generalizations should havebeen referenced (e.g. Late Archaic diet breadth, p. 86; reinterpretationof LoDaisKa ceramics, p. 92). Chapter 4, `Contact, conflict, and coexistence', covers thehistoric period including Native American and Euroamerican groups.Nelson describes this in an orderly fashion. Though several tribes wereknown to occupy the area, relating specific tribes to specific sites isdifficult. Succinctly put by Nelson (p. 113), `Knowing that these groupsoccupied the area and documenting their presence with archaeologicalevidence are, however, two different things'. Perhaps the best contribution to the book is chapter 5, `Historicarchaeology'. So few mistakes are in this chapter that it appearsby contrast to show a strong editorial hand. Treatment of the TremontHouse and Mile Houses is both interesting and detailed. The attempt toprovide a theoretical contribution, however, seems out of place andwould be better argued than asserted. Chapter 6 ostensibly constitutes the conclusions but presents agreat deal of new information that would have served to support, ratherthan be, the conclusions. From the conclusions, we can see what Nelsonwished to accomplish. Unfortunately, most of the chapters fail topresent the information in a clear or systematic enough manner to permitdrawing those conclusions. Editorial issues make this book painful to read, clearlyillustrated by the blunder `Department of Anthropology Department'in the Preface. Similar problems plague the entire volume.Inconsistencies abound of spelling of names between captions and textand between text and References Cited. In some cases, names are spelleddifferently from one entry to the next in References Cited. Manycitations, among them John Cotter, who commissioned this book, aremissing from that section. Other words are simply misspelled(`artimisia' for `artemisia' (sagebrush) and `punctuated'for `punctate', in reference to ceramics). We find that the periodsof maximum aridity and maximum moisture are simultaneous (pp. 46 and55). Page 41 informs us that `Deposition is most often caused by wind,termed aeolian Ae��o��li��an?adj.1. Of or relating to Aeolis or its people or culture.2. Greek Mythology Of or relating to Aeolus.3. aeolian Variant of eolian.n.1. (or aeolian) action'. Headers and their contents areconfusing and inconsistent (e.g. a plague of grasshoppers is describedunder Floods'; `Elevation and Food Sources' is followed by`Plant and Animal Resources', though one would expect plants andanimals to be food sources). The Queen City of the Plains is poorly served by this tribute,although Denver residents and DU alumni may find the book of interest.Lack of attention to editorial detail, however, makes this volume adifficult read. Perhaps a second edition will provide a useful andreadable volume.ANDREA M. GREENAKER & CHARLES W. WHEELERWestern Cultural Resource Management, Inc.,Farmington (NM)