Overview

Challenging traditional and long-standing understandings, this volume provides an important new lens for interpreting stone structures that had previously been attributed to settler colonialism. Instead, the contributors to this volume argue that these locations are sacred Indigenous sites. This volume introduces readers to eastern North America’s Indigenous ceremonial stone landscapes (CSLs)--sacred sites whose principal identifying characteristics are built stone structures that cluster within specific physical landscapes. Our Hidden Landscapes presents these often unrecognized sites as significant cultural landscapes in need of protection and preservation. In this book, Native American authors provide perspectives on the cultural meaning and significance of CSLs and their characteristics, while professional archaeologists and anthropologists provide a variety of approaches for better understanding, protecting, and preserving them. The chapters present overwhelming evidence in the form of oral tradition, historic documentation, ethnographies, and archaeological research that these important sites created and used by Indigenous peoples are deserving of protection. This work enables archaeologists, historians, conservationists, foresters, and members of the general public to recognize these important ritual sites. Contributors Nohham Rolf Cachat-Schilling Robert DeFosses James Gage Mary Gage Doug Harris Julia A. King Lucianne Lavin Johannes (Jannie) H. N. Loubser Frederick W. Martin Norman Muller Charity Moore Norton Paul A. Robinson Laurie W. Rush Scott M. Strickland Elaine Thomas Kathleen Patricia Thrane Matthew Victor Weiss

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9780816550876

Table of Contents

Reviews

""The editors have presented a very successful case for the long-term use as well as the historic Native use of ceremonial stone landscapes (CSL). Thirty-three tribes, these authors, and these editors want these landscapes recognized and preserved.""--Cheryl Claassen, Journal of Anthropological Research ""Our Hidden Landscapes offers a mountain of evidence for the indigenous origins of ceremonial stone landscapes. It recognizes the criticisms of skeptics and takes them head on. The extent of evidence displayed throughout the text is compelling, as is the overall argument.""--Yusuf Mansoor, Connecticut History Review ""Our Hidden Landscapes: Indigenous Stone Ceremonial Sites in Eastern North America is a must-read text written by an eclectic group of knowledgeable authors that provide a diverse perspective on the problematic issues surrounding Native American sacred stone structure sites.""--Harry O. Holstein, Stones Bones ""The chapters offer a perspective and opinions on the indigenous cultural landscape scene in eastern North America, one that is seldom (if ever) seen or discussed by conventional archeology. The book is written to widen the view and argue for more research and insights regarding eastern North American stone constructs and indigenous origins.""--Herman E. Bender, President of the Hanwakan Center for Prehistoric Astronomy, Cosmology and Cultural Landscape Studies

""The editors have presented a very successful case for the long-term use as well as the historic Native use of ceremonial stone landscapes (CSL). Thirty-three tribes, these authors, and these editors want these landscapes recognized and preserved.""--Cheryl Claassen, Journal of Anthropological Research ""Our Hidden Landscapes: Indigenous Stone Ceremonial Sites in Eastern North America is a must-read text written by an eclectic group of knowledgeable authors that provide a diverse perspective on the problematic issues surrounding Native American sacred stone structure sites.""--Harry O. Holstein, Stones Bones ""The chapters offer a perspective and opinions on the indigenous cultural landscape scene in eastern North America, one that is seldom (if ever) seen or discussed by conventional archeology. The book is written to widen the view and argue for more research and insights regarding eastern North American stone constructs and indigenous origins.""--Herman E. Bender, President of the Hanwakan Center for Prehistoric Astronomy, Cosmology and Cultural Landscape Studies

Author Information

Lucianne Lavin is an archaeologist, a director emeritus of research and collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies Museum in Connecticut, and the author of Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples. Elaine Thomas is a Mohegan tribal member and has worked in the Mohegan Tribal Government for twenty-two years. She works with tribal nations in identifying and preserving ceremonial stone landscapes.

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