The Archaeology and History of the Native Georgia Tribes

Book excerpt: The story of Georgia’s Indians from elephant hunts to the European invasion. Spanning 12,000 years, this scientifically accurate and very readable book guides readers through the prehistoric and historic archaeological evidence left by Georgia’s native peoples. It is the only comprehensive, up-to-date, and text-based overview of its kind in print. Drawing on an extensive body of archaeological and historical data, White traces Native American cultural development and accomplishment over the millennia preceding the establishment of Georgia as a colony and state. Each chapter opens with a vivid fictional vignette transporting the reader to a past culture and setting the scene for the narrative that follows. From hunting giant buffalo and elephants to attempts in the 1700s and 1800s to maintain tribal integrity in the face of European and Euro-American violence and threats, White takes the reader on an archaeologically based tour of the land that today is Georgia. Evidence from selected archaeological sites and projects is woven into the narrative, and insets supplement the main text to highlight informative passages from archaeological reports and historical documents. A generous number of photographs, maps, and illustrations aid the reader in identifying artifacts and testify to the artistic abilities of these indigenous peoples of Georgia.