Helen C. Rountree Bücher

Drawing on decades of researching the ethnohistory of the coastal mid- Atlantic, Helen Rountree reconstructs the Indigenous world the Roanoke colonists encountered in the 1580s. Blending research with accessible narrative, Rountree reveals in detail the social, political, and religious lives of Native Americans before European colonization.

Among the aspects of Powhatan life that Helen Rountree describes in vivid detail are hunting and agriculture, territorial claims, warfare and treatment of prisoners, physical appearance and dress, construction of houses and towns, education of youths, initiation rites, family and social structure and customs, the nature of rulers, medicine, religion, and even village games, music, and dance.Rountree’s is the first book-length treatment of this fascinating culture, which included one of the most complex political organizations in native North American and which figured prominently in early American history.

This collection of essays features contributions from historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists who explore the profound changes experienced by Native American communities in the South during the first two centuries of Western civilization in the Americas. The essays provide insights into how this transformative era shaped American Indian society and continues to influence these communities today. The authors examine the historical forces, trends, and events that contributed to the evolution of Southeastern Indian culture and society. Key topics include the impact of European diseases, long-distance migrations, the Spanish mission system, the English plantation system, and the fur trade involving various European powers. The book encompasses a wide geographic and social scope, addressing the indigenous peoples of regions such as Florida, Virginia, Maryland, the Appalachian Mountains, the Carolina Piedmont, the Ohio Valley, and the Central and Lower Mississippi Valleys. The insights presented reflect the most current scholarship on the social history of the South, highlighting the complexities and dynamics of Native American life during this pivotal period.