It is difficult to capture the status of regional archaeology in a single volume. The eclectic compilation by Wholey and Nash dealing with the Middle Atlantic will whet the reader’s appetite for more.

R. Michael Stewart, associate professor emeritus, Department of Anthropology, Temple University; archaeologist, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office

While some critics may contest the idea that the Middle Atlantic region is a valid cultural or environmental construct, no one will disagree that the contributions to this volume effectively document not only the great aboriginal time depth and, subsequently, very long human occupation of this archaeological province but also the great diversity of scholarly approaches currently employed to characterize and understand that long-term occupancy. The editors have masterfully selected a series of contributors who have effectively defined not only the unique properties of the Middle Atlantic, but also have provided an excellent cross-section of both past and contemporary research. Whether professional or interested laymen, and even if you disagree with the contentions of one or another contributor, you should have this volume in your library.

J.M. Adovasio, PhD, DSc, director of Archaeology, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University

A stimulating and informative reader detailing the history and practice of archaeology directed to the Native peoples of the Middle Atlantic region in recent decades, providing a useful series of topical syntheses encompassing many of the facts and lessons learned. Written by some of the top practitioners working in the region, whose wealth of local knowledge and experience shines through the pages, this volume deserves to be read by, and belongs on the shelf of, anyone interested in Middle Atlantic archaeology.

David G. Anderson, University of Tennessee; co-author (with Kenneth E. Sassaman) of Recent Developments in Southeastern Archaeology: From Colonization to Complexity