Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Historical Dictionary of Ancient South America (Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras)

South America is a vast, relatively isolated, landmass that includes 12 independent countries and one region (Guyane Française) with diverse ethnic groups speaking hundreds of different languages and dialects, and extraordinary creativity. Indigenous people have occupied its different habitats while transforming the landscape and themselves, with extraordinary dedication and success. This dictionary opens a window to these peoples through many entries, in an integrated approach that allows to connect the multiple facets of indigenous life before 1492. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Ancient South America contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and the culture of ancient South America. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about ancient South America. Review At last a new edition of Historical Dictionary of Ancient South America. The first edition, published in 2008, has been out of print for some time, and since much has happened archaeologically since 2008, a new edition is welcome. The chronology in this edition begins as the earlier chronology did: "Sometime before 13,000 BC: First Humans Enter South America"--a concept that researchers on the northern part of the continent find impossible to believe. Of course there is no thought as to where these humans came from or how they got to the very tip of South America at such an early time, but there is proof of them being there. There are entries on just about any topic one could think of, and all are concise and well written. One of the three appendixes lists research institutions of interest by country, and there is an excellent bibliography by topic and source type. This will be an invaluable tool for those researching topics (especially in archaeology) dealing with ancient life in South America. Summing Up: Essential. All readers.--CHOICE About the Author Martin Giesso is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Anthropology at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Dr. Giesso is a member of the International Association of Obsidian Studies, the Society for American Archaeology, and AAPRA (Asociación de Arqueólogos Profesionales de la República Argentina). He is currently active in research on long-distance circulation of goods in central Argentina, central Chile, and in the highlands of Bolivia.