Description: This book re-writes the history of a critical if poorly known epoch--the Medieval period in North America (800-1300 CE). It draws on the latest archaeological evidence from north and south of the Mexican border as well as later sources from sixteenth-century Spanish conquistadors to reveal powerful links among Indigenous civilizations-from Mesoamerica to the Southwest and the Mississippi Valley-and their shared responses to climate change.
Review Quotes: "This remarkable work of synthesis demonstrates the power of archaeological research in bringing to light key social and ecological transformations in North America, between 800 and 1300 AD; the results are truly staggering and place the contemporaneous history of medieval Eurasia in an entirely new perspective." -- David Wengrow, Institute of Archaeology, University College London
"A grand narrative of the thousand years in North America before Columbus. Blends Native accounts and cosmologies, and archaeology, and ethnohistory. A landmark for the deep history of our continent" -- Stephen H. Lekson, University of Colorado"Enchanting... A bold provocation, couched in energetic prose and cast in a deeply informed sweep across ancient North America... Shake[s] us from long standing ideas about the cultural boundness of Pre-Columbian Indigenous polities and peoples." -- Journal of Southern History"Finally, after decades of sidestepping by archaeologists, Pauketat has finally brought to light the question of interaction between Mesoamerica and the American Bottom city of Cahokia. Even at present, extensive research in archaeology is focused on the ties between Northwest Mexico and the American Southwest, while we have been waiting for someone to break the ice on the fundamental problem of Mesoamerica's possible connections beyond its northeastern frontier. Pauketat takes the reader on a personal journey as he delves into this perplexing inquiry with a sharp mind that arrives at fascinating insights and conclusions." -- Peter F. Jimenez, author of The Mesoamerican World System, 200-1200 CE