Prehistory in Peril: The Worst and Best of Durango Archaeology, by Florence C. Lister, 1997, University Press of Colorado

Abstract

The history of archaeology in the United States (and elsewhere) is fraught with examples of real and imag­ined conflicts of interest between academics, professionals and government officials on the one hand and their local counterparts of amateur archaeologists, newspaper reporters, artifact speculators and just inter­ested citizens. Florence Lister has reconstructed the story (still ongoing by the way of the interplay of opposing schools of thought as it involved archaeology in the Durango, Colorado, vicinity). Given a subject beset with emotions. acquisitions. misrepresentations, rumors, name calling, mistrust, and occasionally, cooperation between the parties involved, the author has presented the fascinating history of Durango archaeology in a documented, readable and unbiased book that derives much of its value by calling forth archival material that has until now been unavailable or has existed as nebulous oral tradition.