Forgotten Landscapes: How Native Americans Created Pre-Columbian North America and What We Can Learn From It
Jul 2025 · Sold by Simon and Schuster
star
1 review
Ebook
234
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
Rediscover the thriving civilizations of Pre-Columbian America and learn how Native ingenuity transformed the landscape into a flourishing world we can still learn from today
North America was not empty nor were its inhabitants savages when Europeans arrived in 1492. Quite the opposite, North America was thickly populated by indigenous people who lived in clean cities, had a thriving economy, and transformed the landscape into bountiful productivity. Forgotten Landscapes reveals the incredible extent to which Native Americans manipulated and shaped their surrounding environs through agricultural practices and urban engineering, resulting in one of the most prosperous civilizations of their time.
Well before European contact, North American cities and villages were bound together by an intricate trade network. Today, Spiro Mound in rural Oklahoma is a few piles of dirt, not on the road to anywhere. But at the time of the Mississippian civilization, about a thousand years ago, it was one of the largest cities in the world. With the controlled use of fire, Native Americans had transformed thick forests into open woodlands and expanded the ranges of prairies. Through organized hunting, Natives controlled the populations of prey animals such as passenger pigeons, and when Native populations grew large enough, they developed agriculture including irrigated crops, and even orchards.
In this fascinating and overdue book, author Stanley A. Rice shows readers the Pre-Columbian landscape of America that has been largely forgotten.
North America was not empty nor were its inhabitants savages when Europeans arrived in 1492. Quite the opposite, North America was thickly populated by indigenous people who lived in clean cities, had a thriving economy, and transformed the landscape into bountiful productivity. Forgotten Landscapes reveals the incredible extent to which Native Americans manipulated and shaped their surrounding environs through agricultural practices and urban engineering, resulting in one of the most prosperous civilizations of their time.
Well before European contact, North American cities and villages were bound together by an intricate trade network. Today, Spiro Mound in rural Oklahoma is a few piles of dirt, not on the road to anywhere. But at the time of the Mississippian civilization, about a thousand years ago, it was one of the largest cities in the world. With the controlled use of fire, Native Americans had transformed thick forests into open woodlands and expanded the ranges of prairies. Through organized hunting, Natives controlled the populations of prey animals such as passenger pigeons, and when Native populations grew large enough, they developed agriculture including irrigated crops, and even orchards.
In this fascinating and overdue book, author Stanley A. Rice shows readers the Pre-Columbian landscape of America that has been largely forgotten.
Rediscover the thriving civilizations of Pre-Columbian America and learn how Native ingenuity transformed the landscape into a flourishing world we can still learn from today
North America was not empty nor were its inhabitants savages when Europeans arrived in 1492. Quite the opposite, North Am...
Discover more
Ratings and reviews
1 review
Andrea Romance
- Flag inappropriate
July 16, 2025
This book reveals the advanced agricultural practices, urban planning, and trade networks of North America societies before European contact, showcasing a rich and productive world. Fascinating and enjoyable, this easy-to-read book brings to life a long-overlooked world. The advanced cultures of pre-Columbian North America profoundly influenced the founders of the US. Their land management practices have much to teach us as climate change transforms the Earth. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.
About the author
Stanley A. Rice is emeritus professor of biological science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. During his teaching career, his passion was on relating scientific concepts to his Cherokee experience and the Native viewpoint. Rice has contributed papers to the biennial Native American Symposium at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and he is past president of the two major scientific societies in Oklahoma: Oklahoma Academy of Science and Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education.
Stanley A. Rice is emeritus professor of biological science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. During his teaching career, his passion was on relating scientific concepts to his Cherokee experience and the Native viewpoint. Rice has contributed papers to the biennial Native American Sympo...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
