Reading material suggestions?

[rixdafix]

So now that the artifact collecting bug has bitten me again, I need to learn more about what I'm finding. I have no books on artifacts or the materials used, both of which I'd like to learn more about. Any suggestions on reference/reading materials? Keeping in mind my location in Missouri along the Mississippi River valley. I've already learned so much just from lurking in the forums but feel I would be contributing more to the community if I educated myself. Thanks!

[gregszybala]

One book that I find myself picking up and referencing more often then others:
Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of the Mid continental and Eastern United States
By Noel D. Justice
Another:
Guide to the identification of certain
American Indian Projectile Points
By Gregory Perino
This tends to favor Oklahoma, Texas
Neither 100% as to types and identification but close.

[CMD]

gregszybala wrote:

One book that I find myself picking up and referencing more often then others:
Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of the Mid continental and Eastern United States
By Noel D. Justice
Another:
Guide to the identification of certain
American Indian Projectile Points
By Gregory Perino
This tends to favor Oklahoma, Texas
Neither 100% as to types and identification but close.

  I agree with Greg regarding the study by Justice. I refer to it very often as well.

[rmartin]

In my opinion the best books on typology are Gregory Perino's, "Selected Preforms, Points and Knives of the North American Indians". There are three volumes. These have been out of print for some time and are pricey but they are the best.

[gregszybala]

That's the only problem though Ray, extremely expensive and rare. If you need someone to pass yours onto, you know, when you go, just pencil me in!

[rmartin]

Okay Greg, you are penciled in.

[RyanVa]

" Prehistoric Chert Types Of The Midwest " by Tony DeRegnaucourt is a must have imo. Very thorough with lots of info and color plates of materials.

[gregszybala]

RyanVa wrote:

" Prehistoric Chert Types Of The Midwest " by Tony DeRegnaucourt is a must have imo. Very thorough with lots of info and color plates of materials.

  Great book for chert, a hard thing to reference on the net, book in hand makes it much easier.

[rixdafix]

Thanks for the suggestions folks.  That book by Noel D. Justice sounds like it's right up my alley and a good place to start.  $25 on Amazon.  Looks like I'm making a purchase this weekend.

[CMD]

rixdafix wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions folks.  That book by Noel D. Justice sounds like it's right up my alley and a good place to start.  $25 on Amazon.  Looks like I'm making a purchase this weekend.

  Yeah, all very good choices, but there are some good positives that distinguish Justice's approach. This from one of the Amazon reviews for the book, and the reviewer liked it for the same reason I do. The reviewer emphasizes the Midwest, but it is certainly useful for Eastern states as well:
  " A Necessity for the Midwestern Archeologist, December 16, 2003
By Chris Moore (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of the Midcontinental and Eastern United States: A Modern Survey and Reference (Paperback)
Justice's "Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points" is a must have for anyone interested in Midwestern prehistoric lithic technology. A number of localized and somewhat regional typology books are available, but none attempts such a widespread regional synthesis. Two primary features make Justice the best point book available. The first is his use of the point cluster concept. Instead recognizing each individual point type name as a scientifically valid and culturally meaningful category (like Perino), Justice groups points by clusters of points exhibiting close morphological affinities. He then lists all those other named variants as "morphological correlates" so that they may still be referenced by looking them up in the index.
The second benefit of this book is the fact that it is profusely illustrated, with most point types being represented by multiple drawings and some by color photographs. This aids the archeologist and collector in that it illustrates the range of variation included in each point type category.
The only fault of this book is that it has been abused by some who consider it the final word in point type ranges. This is due to the fact that Justice provides maps of the known distribution of each of the point types in the Midwest. These maps, although helpful, are necessarily incomplete in that they only contain information available up the the date of the book's publication. Science is variable; distributions change. If one keeps this in mind, there will be no problems.
In all, therefore, this book is great for all and a necessity for the archeologist and serious collector."

[HoosierRockhound]

Prehistoric Chert Types of the Midwest is a great book but I was just looking at mine and it doesn't include Missouri.

[rixdafix]

How ironic this topic came back up.  Just ordered the Noel D. Justice book tonight.

[dirt kicker]

Does anyone know if this book cover's Illinois points also? :whistle:

[gregszybala]

The Justice book does.