Cultivated Landscapes of Native North America

This text takes a geographical stance on native agriculture in North America, focusing on fields, field features, and field systems. Emphasis is placed on modifications of the biophysical environment, specifically vegetation, soil, slope, and hydrology. Four sections explore horticulture, and practices that took advantage of adequate rainfall, compensated for moisture deficits, and water surpluses. The author uses three types of data: documentary accounts of the early European inform of native practices; ethnographies from 19th and 20th centuries provide ecological understanding; and archaeological findings to shed light on the antiquity of various activities. Nearly 200 maps, drawings, and photographs illustrate the complexities of aboriginal American food production.