Hidden cities : the discovery and loss of ancient North American civilization

Summary: For nearly 6,000 years the Ohio and Mississippi valleys sustained cultures whose monumental architecture rivaled the pyramids of Mexico and Egypt. Yet the history and archeology of these early North Americans has gone largely ignored, and in some cases, has been forgotten. This book sets out to recover the rich heritage of the earliest North American peoples and to trace their influence on the leading citizens of a young United States whose missions of exploration and inquiry brought them face-to-face with the remnants of the past. Building on the work of recent archaeologists and historians, the author reveals the sophistication and complexity of these early cities and offers reasons why history has until recently refused to credit fully these accomplishments of our Native American predecessors.