"It is not surprising that there is much we did not know about the early history of the tribe. It is astonishing that this volume contains so much we did not know about the fate of the tribe after English colonization."—Virginia Quarterly Review

"An important synthesis of archaeological, anthropological, and historical material."—Journal of Southern History

"Surveys a thousand years of Powhatan history, literally from the ground up. . . . The result is as detailed and complete a picture of a people and their culture as one is likely to encounter."—Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local History, 2003

Addressed to specialists and nonspecialists alike, Before and After Jamestown introduces the Powhatans—the Native Americans of Virginia's coastal plains, who played an integral part in the life of the Williamsburg and Jamestown settlements—in scenes that span 1,100 years, from just before their earliest contact with non-Indians to the present day. Synthesizing a wealth of documentary and archaeological data, the authors have produced a book at once thoroughly grounded in scholarship and accessible to the general reader. They have also extended the historical account through the native people's long-term adaptation to European immigrants and into the immediate present and their continuing efforts to gain greater recognition as Indians.

Illustrated with more than 100 photographs, maps, and drawings, the book also includes an entire chapter, from the Powhatan perspective, on the original English fort at Jamestown. The authors provide suggestions for additional reading for both children and adults as well as a list of Indian-related sites to visit in Virginia.

Helen C. Rountree is professor emerita at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. E. Randolph Turner III is director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Portsmouth Regional Office.

No Sample Chapter Available

Awards
Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local History - 2003

"It is not surprising that there is much we did not know about the early history of the tribe. It is astonishing that this volume contains so much we did not know about the fate of the tribe after English colonization." "Although this fine book is not the last word on these subjects, it is a very good start." - Virginia Quarterly Review
--Virginia Quarterly Review

"Blending insights and methodologies from anthropology, history, and archaeology, Rountree and Turner offer the most comprehensive narrative of Powhatan history yet produced… The authors intended to write a 'popularly oriented book aimed at non-scholars as well as scholars.' Their study successfully serves both audiences. Its informal, at times almost conversational style compellingly engages the reader." - Choice
--Choice

"practiced archaeologists would be well-advised to delve into a copy of this book - both to think about things we too often forget (or ignore) and to experience a model example of how to write for non-archaeologists… The book is a good mix of archaeology and history that provides a comprehensive 1000-year look at the Powhatan Indians… wonderfully readable - almost conversational… Before and After Jamestown brings the Powhatans to life." - Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology
--Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology

"This collaboration between two experts on early Virginia surveys a thousand years of Powhatan history, literally from the ground up… The result is as detailed and complete a picture of a people and their culture as one is likely to encounter." - Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
--Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

" An important synthesis of archaeological, anthropological, and historical material that will interest many general readers."--Journal of Southern History
--Journal of Southern History

"Professional academics who want to include Indians in their undergraduate surveys, but aren't sure how, now have a jargon-free and informative survey. The authors carefully explain how scholars of early North America use primary sources to draw conclusions about prehistoric as well as historic periods, and their creative, down-to-earth metaphors explaining key themes in Powhatan culutre provide teachers with a framework on which to build bridges for students seeking to understand the vastly different world of Powhatan Virginia."--Southern Historian
--Southern Historian