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Archaeology & Anthropology — page 17
1,018 public-domain archaeology & anthropology books, summarised. Page 17 of 22.

Early Man Projectile Points in the Southwest
Kenneth Honea
This guide serves as a foundational catalog of the stone tools used by the earliest inhabitants of the American Southwest. It provides a technical, descriptive survey of the diverse projectile points that define these ancient cultures.

In the path of the alphabet: an historical account of the ancient beginnings and evolution of the modern alphabet
Frances Delavan Page Jermain
The story of the alphabet is a journey of human ingenuity, tracing how simple pictures evolved into the structured sounds that define modern language. It maps the transition from ancient carvings to the phonetic systems we use today.

Perseus
H. F. Scott (Henry Folliott Scott) Stokes
The dragon is not a relic of antiquity, but a living creature of modern habit that thrives on the human fear of truth. This investigation exposes the monster for what it truly is.

The Deseado Formation of Patagonia
Frederic Brewster Loomis
This technical record of prehistoric life reveals the evolution of strange, isolated mammals that once roamed the southern reaches of the Americas. It stands as a meticulous survey of a lost, ancient world.

The Discoveries of John Lederer: In three several Marches from Virginia to the East of Carolina, and other parts of the Continent
John Lederer
A restless explorer pushes into the untamed American interior, mapping the vast, mountainous unknown while documenting the complex lives and rituals of the Indigenous nations he encounters.

Africana
Duff Macdonald
This detailed ethnography offers a rare, firsthand window into the social structures, religious beliefs, and daily life of East African tribes during the late nineteenth century.

The Books of Chilan Balam: The Prophetic and Historic Records of the Mayas of Yucatan
Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison) Brinton
The Books of Chilan Balam represent a vital, vanishing bridge to the ancient Maya intellect, preserving sacred indigenous history and prophecy through the transformative lens of the post-Conquest era. These manuscripts offer an unparalleled, if fragmented, glimpse into a civilization that once recorded its world in…

The Missouri Archaeologist, Volume 34, No. 1 and 2, December 1972
Various
This collection of archaeological reports offers a meticulous, grounded look at the material lives of Missouri’s past, from 18th-century pipe manufacturing to the funerary practices of indigenous cultures. It is a vital record of regional history, preserved through the patient work of specialists and dedicated…

York
George Benson
York serves as a vivid, living portal into England’s medieval past, where ancient stone walls and towering cathedrals guard the secrets of kings, rebels, and saints.

Studies in Central American Picture-Writing: First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the
Edward S. (Edward Singleton) Holden
This rigorous investigation applies the analytical techniques of modern cryptography to the enigmatic stone inscriptions of Central America, seeking to unlock the meaning of ancient Mayan glyphs through systematic comparison. It serves as a foundational attempt to move beyond speculative interpretation toward a…

Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 26, November, 1880
Various
This wide-ranging collection of nineteenth-century thought captures the intellectual pulse of 1880 through a blend of travelogues, scientific inquiry, domestic fiction, and cultural critique.

The Dawn of History: An Introduction to Pre-Historic Study
C. F. (Charles Francis) Keary
Humanity’s earliest chapters remain etched not in books, but in stone, language, and the fading echoes of ancient myth. This comprehensive volume reconstructs the silent eras of prehistory, mapping the slow, arduous ascent of civilization from the cave to the city.

Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific Coast
Thomas Crosby
A nineteenth-century missionary recounts his decades of labor among the indigenous tribes of the Pacific Coast, detailing the complex cultural shifts that followed the arrival of settlers and Christian influence.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Restored in Conformity With the Recently Discovered Remains
James Fergusson
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus stands as a singular puzzle of antiquity, a work once ranked among the seven wonders of the world for its peerless design. This analysis attempts to resolve the long-standing architectural mystery of its true form by reconciling ancient textual descriptions with the physical fragments…

The Native Races of East Africa
Wilfrid D. (Wilfrid Dyson) Hambly
Anthropological study of the early twentieth century often relied on travelogue and observation to catalog the distinct customs of distant cultures. This work surveys the traditions, social structures, and daily lives of several major East African groups, aiming to bring an ethnographic perspective to geographical…

Stories of New Jersey
Frank R. Stockton
A tapestry of local legend and national milestone, this collection gathers the figures and turning points that transformed a wilderness into a cornerstone of American history. It captures the spirit of a state shaped by both quiet resolve and grand ambition.

An Apache Campaign in the Sierra Madre: An Account of the Expedition in Pursuit of the Hostile Chiricahua Apaches in the Spring of 1883
John Gregory Bourke
Deep in the rugged Sierra Madre, a small American force risks everything to hunt an elusive, feared enemy on its own ground.

Short Sketches from Oldest America
John B. (John Beach) Driggs
An ancient, isolated people tell their own story through the myths, domestic rituals, and ingenious tools that sustain life on the edge of the frozen Arctic.

The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales
R. H. (Robert Hamilton) Mathews
A meticulous study records the complex grammars and rich vocabularies of First Nations tongues across central and southern New South Wales.

Nationality and Race from an Anthropologist's Point of View: Being the Robert Boyle lecture delivered before the Oxford university junior scientific club on November 17, 1919
Keith, Arthur, Sir
Deep human history shapes our modern world, and ancient evolutionary drives continue to dictate modern global politics.

Sacred Mysteries Among the Mayas and the Quiches, 11,500 Years Ago: Their relation to the sacred mysteries of Egypt, Greece, Chaldea and India. Free Masonry in times anterior to the Temple of Solomon
Augustus Le Plongeon
A millennia-old network of sacred knowledge ties the ancient Mayas directly to the foundational rites of world religion and Freemasonry.

An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)
Martin Dobrizhoffer
An eighteen-year missionary voyage into the South American interior yields an extraordinarily detailed account of frontier conflicts, strange flora, and equestrian tribes.

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia
Charles Sturt
A solitary boat drifts down untamed rivers into Australia’s uncharted interior, where sandstorms, submerged timber, and thousands of armed natives test the boundary between heroic endurance and total disaster.

Wanderings in North Africa
Hamilton, James, traveler
A solitary traveler sets out across the desolate tablelands and forgotten oases of North Africa, risking disease, ambush, and hostile ruins to map the classical remnants of a lost empire.

Sketches of Indian Character: Being a Brief Survey of the Principal Features of Character Exhibited by the North American Indians
James Napier Bailey
Human behavior arises from the crucible of environment rather than innate disposition. This examination explores how external forces shape the lives and cultures of North American indigenous peoples.

The Sia: (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))
Matilda Coxe Stevenson
This foundational ethnographic study documents the complex religious life, social structure, and intricate cosmogony of the Zia Pueblo people at the close of the nineteenth century.

Chinese pictures
Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird
Beyond the distant frontiers of the West lies a land of ancient, intricate machinery and rigid social codes. This collection of photographic vignettes documents the landscape, infrastructure, and daily customs of China at the close of the nineteenth century. Through the lens of an observant traveler, the reader…

Shores of the Polar Sea: A Narrative of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6
Edward L. (Edward Lawton) Moss
This account offers a stark, first-hand chronicle of the 1875-6 British Arctic Expedition. It captures the transition from scientific optimism to the harsh, freezing realities of a record-breaking northern winter.

The Gipsies' Advocate
James Crabb
This work serves as an impassioned plea to view the wandering Romanies of nineteenth-century England not as criminals, but as a neglected people in desperate need of Christian compassion and education. It blends ethnographic observations with personal anecdotes of missionary outreach to bridge the divide between…
![Cover of Historical and descriptive sketches of the town and soke of Horncastle [1822]: in the county of Lincoln and several places adjacent](https://cdn.myebooksbuy.com/c/historical-and-descriptive-sketches-of-the-town-and-soke-of-horncastle.webp)
Historical and descriptive sketches of the town and soke of Horncastle [1822]: in the county of Lincoln and several places adjacent
George Weir
This survey of a historic English town and its surrounding district offers an immersive look at local antiquity, blending the grandeur of noble lineages with the quiet persistence of rural life. It serves as a comprehensive chronicle of the transformation of the Lincolnshire landscape from the Roman era through the…

Indians of Louisiana
Inter-tribal Council of Louisiana
This historical overview traces the endurance of Louisiana’s indigenous nations, mapping their evolution from prehistoric mound-builders to the resilient, modern-day tribes seeking self-determination.

Palm trees of the Amazon and their uses
Alfred Russel Wallace
The Amazon basin is a botanical wonderland where palms dominate the landscape, serving as both the structural pillars of the forest and the essential materials for human survival. This rigorous, descriptive record catalogs the immense variety, biological peculiarities, and practical applications of these majestic…

The Early Cave-Men
Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
This narrative explores the ingenuity of early humans as they transition from fear of the natural world to mastery over their environment. It presents a vivid, educational reconstruction of prehistoric life, focusing on the development of essential tools and community bonds.

The Religion of the Indians of California
A. L. (Alfred Louis) Kroeber
The religious life of California’s diverse indigenous populations reflects a profound, animistic worldview where the supernatural is woven into the ordinary fabric of daily existence.

The vale of Lyvennet
John Salkeld Bland
A young naturalist chronicles the layered history of a Cumbrian valley, weaving together the stones, customs, and lingering spirits of its ancient inhabitants. This intimate portrait reveals how the landscape remembers those who walked it.

Tour of the American Lakes, and Among the Indians of the North-West Territory, in 1830, Volume 1 (of 2): Disclosing the Character and Prospects of the Indian Race
Calvin Colton
A journey through the American wilderness reveals the stark contrast between the promise of government treaties and the encroaching reality of frontier life for the native populations of the 1830s.

A New Genus of Pennsylvanian Fish (Crossopterygii, Coelacanthiformes) from Kansas
Joan Echols
This technical monograph provides a formal scientific classification for a previously misidentified Pennsylvanian coelacanth, establishing a new genus named *Synaptotylus* based on fossilized remains found in Kansas.

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 446: Volume 18, New Series, July 17, 1852
Various
The Victorian era’s restless curiosity comes alive in this snapshot of a mid-century magazine, where scientific wonder and social commentary collide. It captures the pulse of a society eager to catalog the world's strangeness and improve its own moral machinery.

Nuclear Clocks: Revised
Henry Faul
How old is the earth, and how can we be sure? This clear-eyed guide unlocks the secrets of radioactive dating, explaining the scientific processes that transformed our understanding of deep time.

Strange Peoples
Frederick Starr
This volume serves as an early twentieth-century survey of global human diversity, designed to broaden the horizons of young students by introducing them to the customs, habitations, and beliefs of various cultures.

The peoples of Europe
H. J. (Herbert John) Fleure
Europe is a crowded, complex tapestry woven from shifting geography, ancient migrations, and the persistent, often uneasy, evolution of language and social tradition. This study examines how those forces shaped the continent’s modern identity.

Introduction to the Study of Palæontological Botany
John Hutton Balfour
This foundational text offers a rigorous, scholarly guide to the plant life of ancient geological eras, bridging the gap between living botany and the fossilized remains of the deep past.

The Chickamauga Dam and its environs
Robert Sparks Walker
A vast reservoir transforms the landscape of eastern Tennessee, submerging decades of frontier history to ignite a modernized industrial south.

The Native Races of British North America
Wilfrid D. (Wilfrid Dyson) Hambly
This survey explores the traditional lives, social structures, and mythologies of Indigenous peoples in British North America, framing their diverse cultures through the lens of early twentieth-century anthropological thought. It serves as a window into the daily realities and spiritual landscapes of these…

When the tree flowered
John G. Neihardt
In a freezing tepee on the reservation, an aging Lakota warrior shares the lost world of his youth with a sympathetic white visitor.

The Nurse in Greek Life
Sister Mary Rosaria
A silent partner in the domestic life of antiquity, the nurse carried the future of Greece in her arms and shaped its literature from behind bedroom doors.

The Ainu group at the Saint Louis Exposition
Frederick Starr
A scholar travels to the remote villages of Yezo to bring a group of Ainu people to the 1904 Saint Louis Exposition, documenting their vanishing traditions amidst a rapidly modernizing world.

The Atomic Fingerprint: Neutron Activation Analysis
Bernard Keisch
Neutron activation analysis turns the invisible world of atomic structure into a powerful investigative tool, allowing scientists to identify trace elements with pinpoint accuracy. This guide demystifies the process of "atomic fingerprinting" through diverse, practical applications.