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Archeology in the Adirondacks

The Last Frontier

David R. Starbuck

While numerous books have been written about the great camps, hiking trails, and wildlife of the Adirondacks, noted anthropologist David R. Starbuck offers the only archeological guide to a region long overlooked by archeologists who thought that “all the best sites” were elsewhere. This beautifully illustrated volume focuses on the rich and varied material culture brought to the mountains by their original Native American inhabitants, along with subsequent settlements created by soldiers, farmers, industrialists, workers, and tourists. Starbuck examines Native American sites on Lake George and Long Lake; military and underwater sites throughout the Lake George, Fort Ticonderoga, and Crown Point regions; old industrial sites where forges, tanneries, and mines once thrived; farms and the rural landscape; and many other sites, including the abandoned Frontier Town theme park, the ghost town of Adirondac, Civilian Conservation Corps camps, ski areas, and graveyards.

Cover Image of Archeology in the Adirondacks: The Last Frontier
Paper: $22.95 | E-book: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9781512602623
Pages: 184 | Size: 7 in. x 10 in.
Date Published: June 5, 2018
Screenshot-2023-10-11-at-16.51.58

Starbuck reveals the richness of the archaeological record in the Adirondacks, which demonstrates the area’s military importance, its industrial heritage, and the underpinnings of the tourist industry that thrives today.

Choice

Reviews

  • [Starbuck] chronicles the wide array of archaeological sites in New York's Adirondack Park... The book invites people to take a fresh look at things they might see every day and consider commonplace.

    The Saratogian
  • Starbuck's illustrated... book delves into the various archaeological field work conducted at forts, Native American seasonal sites and abandoned farmsteads, mines and industrial sites scattered around the region.

    Associated Press
  • The premise of [Starbuck’s] latest book, Archeology in the Adirondacks: The Last Frontier, is that there’s plenty for amateur and professional researchers alike to discover in their own back yards.

    Lancaster Farming
  • Starbuck reveals the richness of the archaeological record in the Adirondacks, which demonstrates the area's military importance, its industrial heritage, and the underpinnings of the tourist industry that thrives today... Recommended.

    Choice
  • David Starbuck, whose Adirondack roots stretch back more than two centuries, applies his passion for place with solid scientific research that shows how soldiers and settlers alike occupied this region. His digs have unearthed fascinating details, and his writing is always accessible and entertaining.

    Elizabeth Folwell
    editor at large, Adirondack Life

About the Author

DAVID R. STARBUCK is a historical and industrial archeologist specializing in America’s forts and battlefields, utopian societies (such as the Shakers), and medieval and post-medieval sites in Scotland. Dr. Starbuck has authored or edited nearly 20 books; published more than 130 journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews; and presented well over 500 papers and talks at local, regional, and national conferences and meetings. Currently president of the Adirondack Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association, he is a professor of anthropology at Plymouth State University.

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