Fremont is a culture (ca. 300-1300 A.D.) first defined by archaeologist Noel Morss in 1928 based on characteristics unique to the area. Initially thought to be a simple socio-political system, recent reassessments of the Fremont assume a more complex society. This volume places Fremont rock art studies in this contemporary context. Author Steven Simms offers an innovative model of Fremont society, politics, and worldview using the principles of analogy and current archaeological evidence. Simms takes readers on a trip back in time by describing what a typical Fremont hamlet or residential area might have looked like a thousand years ago, including the inhabitants' daily activities. Fran\u00e7ois Gohier's captivating photographs of Fremont art and artifacts offer an engaging complement to Simms's text, aiding us in our understanding of the lives of these ancient people.
Steven R. Simms is a professor of anthropology at Utah State University. He is the author of Ancient Peoples of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau.; Fran\u00e7ois Gohier grew up in the Basque country in southwest France. He is a professional photographer and lives in San Diego, California.
Preface Acknowledgments Traces of Fremont: Introduction My Messages How Can We Know? Fremont Archaeology Life at a Fremont Hamlet Tempos of Life and Landscape The Kinship of Farming Surplus, Storage, Power, and Display A Population Dynamic Fremont Big Villages Fremont Dispersed Communities Fremont Corporate Groups? Power and Leadership Landscape and the Fremont Culture Fremont Origins The Fremont Frontier Fremont Rock Art The Roots of Fremont Rock Art Fremont Rock Art: Themes, Unity, and Variation Rock Art and Fremont Society Traces of Fremont: Postscript Photograph Credits Notes References About the Authors
"An interesting read as well as a visual treat."--Utah Historical Quarterly "Simms commendably presents complex debates in contemporary archaeology about Fremont society, far exceeding the usual descriptive and simple theorizing fare that characterizes much popular archaeological literature. The book is beautifully illustrated with stunning photography of Fremont material culture and rock art, complemented by text that lucidly outlines a model of Fremont society and origins that Simms has been developing over the years, making the book also relevant to professional archaeologists."--New Mexico Historical Review "Simms's book is excellent! I really like his take on Fremont, I like the narrative descriptions of various Fremont settlements, and I like his treatment of rock art balanced and scholarly without losing the interest and excitement of that astonishing Fremont medium."--Stephen H. Lekson, professor of anthropology and curator, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History "Together, Simms and Gohier take readers back in time."--Deseret News
