Amulets, Effigies, Fetishes, and Charms: Native American Artifacts and Spirit Stones from the Northeast

Amazon.com Price: $49.95 (as of 02/05/2019 05:22 PST- Details)

Categories: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Description

Decorated stone artifacts are a significant a part of archaeological studies of Native Americans in the Northeast. The artifacts illuminated in Amulets, Effigies, Fetishes, and Charms: Native American Artifacts and Spirit Stones from the Northeast include pecked, sculpted, or incised figures, images, or symbols. These are rendered on pebbles, plaques, pendants, axes, pestles, and atlatl weights, andare of varying sizes, shapes, and designs. Lenik draws from Indian myths and legends and accommodates data from ethnohistoric and archaeological sources at the side of local environmental settings in an attempt to interpret the iconography of these fascinating relics. For the Algonquian and Iroquois peoples, they reflect identity, status, and social relationships with other Indians in addition to beings in the spirit world.
 
Lenik begins with background on the Indian cultures of the Northeast and includes a discussion of the dating system developed by anthropologists to describe prehistory. The heart of the content accommodates more than eighty examples of portable rock art, grouped by recurring design motifs. This organization allows for in-depth analysis of each and every motif. The motifs examined range from people, animals, fish, and insects to geometric and abstract designs. Information for each and every object is presented in succinct prose, with a description, illustration, imaginable interpretation, the story of its discovery, and the location where it is now housed. Lenik also offers insight into the culture and way of life of the Native American groups represented. An appendix listing places to see and learn more about the artifacts and a glossary are included.
 
The material in this book, used along with Lenik’s previous research, offers a reference for virtually each and every known example of northeastern rock art. Archaeologists, students, and connoisseurs of Indian artistic expression will find this an invaluable work.

Related products

Home » Shop » Books » Subjects » Arts and Photography » History and Criticism » History » Americas » Native American » Amulets, Effigies, Fetishes, and Charms: Native American Artifacts and Spirit Stones from the Northeast

Recent Products