The Granite State used to be connected to African. The White Mountains used to
be as tall as the Himalayas. Beavers used to be as big as bears and dinosaurs
the size of turkeys. Those are just a few fascinating facts from this history
of our rocky state. A whole lot happened here before the arrival of white settlers.
READ: Tracking Passaconaway
SEE: Guide to Indian Artifacts
From the Publisher
A comprehensive look at the geography, environment, and peoples of the land that
became New Hampshire, from ancient times through the colonial era.
In this masterful and elegant book, Michael J. Caduto tells the complete story
of the land of New Hampshire—starting with the formation of earth 4.6 billion
years ago and continuing with changes to its peoples and the environment through
the seventeenth century. Part I offers a comprehensive look at every aspect of
the ancient natural world—including geology, glaciology, botany, climatology,
ecology, zoology, and paleobotany. It describes the formation of the land hundreds
of millions of years ago as a result of major movements in the tectonic plates;
chronicles the rise and fall of reptiles, mammals, birds, and plants and other
life forms stemming from climatic changes; and explores the arrival of human beings
during and after the relatively recent ice age.
HEAR the author interviewed on NH Public Radio
The rest of the volume immerses the reader in the history of the human populations
in New Hampshire, beginning with the Paleoindian period of hunter gatherers over
twelve thousand years ago and continuing through the arrival of horticulture among
the Alnôbak (Abenaki) and beyond. Caduto explores the Alnôbak’s day-to-day existence,
culture, and traditional tales as preserved by archeologists, anthropologists,
historians, and living cultures. Emphasizing the beliefs, cultures, and practices
of these native people, Caduto details the Alnôbak’s relationship to the natural
world as he tells the story of coevolution between the land and people through
time.
Caduto takes the reader on an exploration through New Hampshire’s rich and diverse
history—using first-hand experiences, re-creations of natural and human environments,
journeys through historical landscapes and visits with the families of ancient
people—to present a thorough profile of the early beginnings of the Granite State.
BUY THIS BOOK NOW from Amazon.com
A Time Before New Hampshire:
The Story of a Land and Native Peoples
University of New Hampshire Press
University Press of New England
284 pp, 73 illus, 31 figures
Paperback, 6 x 9"
$19.95 (minus disount, plus shipping)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
MICHAEL J. CADUTO is an author, naturalist, and educator, and the founder of
P.E.A.C.E.® (Programs for Environmental Awareness and Cultural Exchange). He has
written twelve books, including the best-selling Pond and Brook (UPNE, 1990) and
Keepers of the Earth (1988).
