Aztec and Maya Apocalypses

Download Aztec and Maya Apocalypses PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806191341
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Aztec and Maya Apocalypses by : Mark Z. Christensen

Download or read book Aztec and Maya Apocalypses written by Mark Z. Christensen and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2022-07-14 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the Final Judgment: the Apocalypse is central to Christianity and has evolved throughout Christianity’s long history. Thus, when ecclesiastics brought the Apocalypse to native audiences in the Americas, both groups adapted it further, reflecting new political and social circumstances. The religious texts in Aztec and Maya Apocalypses, many translated for the first time, provide an intriguing picture of this process—revealing the influence of European, Aztec, and Maya worldviews on portrayals of Doomsday by Spanish priests and Indigenous authors alike. The Apocalypse and Christian eschatology played an important role in the conversion of the Indigenous population and often appeared in the texts and sermons composed for their consumption. Through these writings from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century—priests’ “official” texts and Indigenous authors’ rendering of them—Mark Z. Christensen traces Maya and Nahua influences, both stylistic and substantive, while documenting how extensively Old World content and meaning were absorbed into Indigenous texts. Visions of world endings and beginnings were not new to the Indigenous cultures of America. Christensen shows how and why certain formulations, such as the Fifteen Signs of Doomsday, found receptive audiences among the Maya and the Aztec, with religious ramifications extending to the present day. These translated texts provide the opportunity to see firsthand the negotiations that ecclesiastics and natives engaged in when composing their eschatological treatises. With their insights into how various ecclesiastics, Nahuas, and Mayas preached, and even understood, Catholicism, they offer a uniquely detailed, deeply informed perspective on the process of forming colonial religion.

The Maya Apocalypse and Its Western Roots

Download The Maya Apocalypse and Its Western Roots PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538154994
Total Pages : 169 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (381 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Maya Apocalypse and Its Western Roots by : Matthew Restall

Download or read book The Maya Apocalypse and Its Western Roots written by Matthew Restall and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating history explores the cultural roots of our civilization’s obsession with the end of the world. Busting the myth of the ancient Maya prediction that time would end in 2012, Matthew Restall and Amara Solari build on their previous book, 2012 and the End of the World, to use the Maya case to connect such seemingly disparate historical events as medieval European millenarianism, Moctezuma’s welcome to Cortés, Franciscan missionizing in Mexico, prophetic traditions in Yucatan, and the growing belief today in conspiracies and apocalypses. In demystifying the 2012 phenomenon, the authors draw on their decades of scholarship to provide an accessible and engaging explanation of what Mayas and Aztecs really believed, how Judeo-Christian apocalypticism became part of the Indigenous Mesoamerican and modern American worlds, and why millions continue to anticipate an imminent Doomsday.

Apocalypse 2012

Download Apocalypse 2012 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9780765362452
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (624 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Apocalypse 2012 by : Gary Jennings

Download or read book Apocalypse 2012 written by Gary Jennings and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2010-03-30 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today’s world leaders and those of 1,000 years ago face the world’s end. The Mayan “End-Time Codex” predicts the end of the world in 2012. A young Aztec-Mayan slave tells the story of its creation: gifted in math and astronomy, Coyotl advises the god-king, Quetzalcoatl. Gathering artists, scientists, and architects, this ruler builds the great, golden city of Tula but soon faces war, disastrous drought, death-cult priests who rip the hearts out of thousands of people. . . and an epic catastrophe threatening all humanity. Meanwhile, thousand years later, scientists have rediscovered the End-Time Codex and learned that their own time mirrors Tula’s golden age. Can they crack the 2012 code and save their world from Tula’s deadly fate? The countdown begins.

The End-Of-The-World Delusion

Download The End-Of-The-World Delusion PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 1475913559
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (759 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The End-Of-The-World Delusion by : Justin Deering

Download or read book The End-Of-The-World Delusion written by Justin Deering and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The End-of-the-World Delusion is a well-written, thoroughly researched, and very readable book. Deering's lively narrative makes complex and complicated topics accessible to the average reader. He certainly pulled me into his book despite my cynical view of the topic. Deering offers the reader riveting histories of end-of-the world beliefs and covers an extraordinary array of ground in this well-researched book, discussing everything from the Mayan end-of-times predictions, Christian rapture beliefs, pandemics, economic doomsday scenarios, and other apocalyptic predictions. Robert Watson, PhD, author/editor of thirty-four books, including The Presidents' Wives and America's War on Terror People from many different corners of civilization seem to be saying the same thing: the end is near. In The End-of-the-World Delusion, author Justin Deering explores such scenarios, discussing why they are not likely to occur or have any visible impact on this planet within our lifetime. Providing a thorough analysis, Deering chronicles the numerous instances of such predictions throughout history, examines frequent religious and cultural sources of these end-of-world claims, analyzes the sociological and psychological dynamics and dangers, and outlines other forms of end-times beliefs, ranging from religious to pop culture in nature. The End-of-the-World Delusion provides concrete information that helps evaluate these dubious assertions, relates how such beliefs have harmed individuals and society, and talks about why people are inclined to nurture such beliefs in the first place. Setting the record straight by detailing the history of failed doomsdays, Deering shows that nothing can be gained by worrying about the end of time, and that we must learn a lesson from the past, live in the present, and plan for the future.

The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World

Download The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393352064
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (933 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World by : Marcelo Gleiser

Download or read book The Prophet and the Astronomer: Apocalyptic Science and the End of the World written by Marcelo Gleiser and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2003-07-17 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An intellectual accomplishment that illuminates the magic and the wisdom of the heavens above."—Kirkus Reviews "Tracing our contemplation of the cosmos from the big bang to the big crunch" (The New Yorker), Marcelo Gleiser explores the shared quest of ancient prophets and today's astronomers to explain the strange phenomena of our skies—from the apocalypse foretold in Revelations to modern science's ongoing identification of multiple cataclysmic threats, including the impact of comets and asteroids on earthly life, the likelihood of future collisions, the meaning of solar eclipses and the death of stars, the implications of black holes for time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe and time. Presenting insights to cosmological science and apocalyptic philosophy in an "easily accessible" (Library Journal) style, Gleiser is "a rare astrophysicist as comfortable quoting Scripture as explaining formulas" (Booklist). K. C. Cole praises his ability to "[work] the entwined threads of science and religion into a vision of 'the end' that is strangely comforting and inspiring."

The Prophet and the Astronomer

Download The Prophet and the Astronomer PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 9780393324310
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (243 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Prophet and the Astronomer by : Marcelo Gleiser

Download or read book The Prophet and the Astronomer written by Marcelo Gleiser and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2003 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the shared quest of ancient prophets and today's astronomers to explain the strange phenomena of our skies-from the apocalypse foretold in Revelations to modern science's ongoing identification of multiple cataclysmic threats, including the impact of comets and asteroids on earthly life, the likelihood of future collisions, the meaning of solar eclipses and the death of stars, the implications of black holes for time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe and time.

2012 and the End of the World

Download 2012 and the End of the World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN 13 : 144220611X
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis 2012 and the End of the World by : Matthew Restall

Download or read book 2012 and the End of the World written by Matthew Restall and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2011-01-16 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did the Maya really predict that the world would end in December of 2012? If not, how and why has 2012 millenarianism gained such popular appeal? In this deeply knowledgeable book, two leading historians of the Maya answer these questions in a succinct, readable, and accessible style. Matthew Restall and Amara Solari introduce, explain, and ultimately demystify the 2012 phenomenon. They begin by briefly examining the evidence for the prediction of the world's end in ancient Maya texts and images, analyzing precisely what Maya priests did and did not prophesize. The authors then convincingly show how 2012 millenarianism has roots far in time and place from Maya cultural traditions, but in those of medieval and Early Modern Western Europe. Revelatory any myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.

The Maya

Download The Maya PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190645040
Total Pages : 143 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Maya by : Matthew Restall

Download or read book The Maya written by Matthew Restall and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-21 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas — and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control. There was never a single, unified Maya state or empire, but always numerous, evolving ethnic groups speaking dozens of distinct Mayan languages. The people we call "Maya" never thought of themselves as such; yet something definable, unique, and endlessly fascinating - what we call Maya culture - has clearly existed for millennia. So what was their self-identity and how did Maya civilization come to be "invented?" With the Maya historically subdivided and misunderstood in so many ways, the pursuit of what made them "the Maya" is all the more important. In this Very Short Introduction, Restall and Solari explore the themes of Maya identity, city-state political culture, art and architecture, the Maya concept of the cosmos, and the Maya experience of contact with — including invasion by — outsiders. Despite its brevity, this book is unique for its treatment of all periods of Maya civilization, from its origins to the present.

Indigenous Perceptions of the End of the World

Download Indigenous Perceptions of the End of the World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3030138607
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (31 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Indigenous Perceptions of the End of the World by : Rosalyn Bold

Download or read book Indigenous Perceptions of the End of the World written by Rosalyn Bold and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-29 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume constructs a ‘cosmopolitics’ of climate change, consulting small-scale sustainable communities on whether the world is ending and why, and how we can take action to prevent it. By comparing scientific and indigenous accounts of the same phenomenon, contributors seek to broaden Western understandings of what climate change constitutes. In this context, existing cosmologies are challenged, opening spaces for hegemonic narratives to enter into conversation with the non-modern and construct ‘worlds otherwise’—situations of world change and renewal through climate change. Bold brings together perspectives from Central America, Mexico, the Amazon, and the Andes to converse with scientific narratives of climate change and create cracks that bring new worlds into being for readers.

The Seventh Sun

Download The Seventh Sun PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Blackstone Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1982546638
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (825 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Seventh Sun by : Lani Forbes

Download or read book The Seventh Sun written by Lani Forbes and published by Blackstone Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thrust into leadership upon the death of his emperor father, young Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. Though his royal blood controls the power of the sun, he’s now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. And despite all Ahkin’s efforts, the sun is fading—and the end of the world may be at hand. For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor’s death may mean that she is next. Prince Ahkin must be married before he can ascend the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him as a possible wife. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed to the gods. Only one girl can become Ahkin’s bride. Mayana and Ahkin feel an immediate connection, but the gods themselves may be against them. Both recognize that the ancient rites of blood that keep the gods appeased may be harming the Chicome more than they help. As a bloodred comet and the fading sun bring a growing sense of dread, only two young people may hope to change their world. Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.

The Manuscript Hunter

Download The Manuscript Hunter PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806159502
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Manuscript Hunter by : Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg

Download or read book The Manuscript Hunter written by Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2017-07-13 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In two decades of traveling throughout Mexico, Central America, and Europe, French priest Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg (1814–1874) amassed hundreds of indigenous manuscripts and printed books, including grammars and vocabularies that brought to light languages and cultures little known at the time. Although his efforts yielded many of the foundational texts of Mesoamerican studies—the pre-Columbian Codex Troana, the only known copies of the Popol Vuh and the indigenous dance drama Rabinal-Achi, and Diego De Landa’s Relación de la cosas de Yucatán—Brasseur earned disdain among scholars for his theories linking Maya writings to the mythical continent of Atlantis. In The Manuscript Hunter, translator Katia Sainson reasserts his standing as the founder of modern Maya studies, presenting three of his travel writings in English for the first time. While civil wars raged throughout Mexico and Central America and foreign interests sought access to the region’s rich resources, Brasseur focused on uncovering Mesoamerica’s mysterious past by examining its ancient manuscripts and living oral traditions. His “Notes from a Voyage in Central America,” “From Guatemala City to Rabinal,” and Voyage across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec document his travels in search of these texts and traditions. Brasseur’s writings weave vivid geographical descriptions of Central America and Mexico during the mid-1800s with keen social and political analysis, all steeped in vast knowledge of the region’s history and interest in its indigenous cultures. Coupled with Sainson’s thoughtful introduction and annotations, these captivating, accessible accounts reveal Brasseur de Bourbourg’s true accomplishments and offer an unrivaled view of the birth of Mesoamerican studies in the nineteenth century. Brasseur’s writings not only depict Central America and Mexico through the eyes of a European traveler at a key moment, but also illuminate the remarkable efforts of one man to understand and preserve Mesoamerica’s cultural traditions for all time.

Tlacaelel Remembered

Download Tlacaelel Remembered PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806157666
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tlacaelel Remembered by : Susan Schroeder

Download or read book Tlacaelel Remembered written by Susan Schroeder and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2016-11-16 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The enigmatic and powerful Tlacaelel (1398–1487), wrote annalist Chimalpahin, was “the beginning and origin” of the Mexica monarchy in fifteenth-century Mesoamerica. Brother of the first Moteuczoma, Tlacaelel would become “the most powerful, feared, and esteemed man of all that the world had seen up to that time.” But this outsize figure of Aztec history has also long been shrouded in mystery. In Tlacaelel Remembered, the first biography of the Mexica nobleman, Susan Schroeder searches out the truth about his life and legacy. A century after Tlacaelel’s death, in the wake of the conquistadors, Spaniards and natives recorded the customs, histories, and language of the Nahua, or Aztec, people. Three of these chroniclers—fray Diego Durán, don Hernando Alvarado Tezozomoc, and especially don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin—wrote of Tlacaelel. But the inaccessibility of Chimalpahin’s annals has meant that for centuries of Aztec history, Tlacaelel has appeared, if at all, as a myth. Working from Chimalpahin’s newly available writings and exploring connections and variances in other source materials, Schroeder draws the clearest possible portrait of Tlacaelel, revealing him as the architect of the Aztec empire’s political power and its military might—a politician on par with Machiavelli. As the advisor to five Mexica rulers, Tlacaelel shaped the organization of the Mexica state and broadened the reach of its empire—feats typically accomplished with the spread of warfare, human sacrifice, and cannibalism. In the annals, he is considered the “second king” to the rulers who built the empire, and is given the title “Cihuacoatl,” used for the office of president and judge. As Schroeder traces Tlacaelel through the annals, she also examines how his story was transmitted and transformed in later histories. The resulting work is the most complete and comprehensive account ever given of this significant figure in Mesoamerican history.

Primeros Memoriales

Download Primeros Memoriales PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Civilization of the American I
ISBN 13 : 9780806116884
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (168 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Primeros Memoriales by : Bernardino de Sahagún

Download or read book Primeros Memoriales written by Bernardino de Sahagún and published by Civilization of the American I. This book was released on 1993 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a full-color facsimile edition of Primeros Memoriales by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún and is a valuable document providing great understanding and knowledge of provincial Mesoamerican civilization.

Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening?

Download Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1591439892
Total Pages : 349 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (914 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening? by : Geoff Stray

Download or read book Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening? written by Geoff Stray and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-05-21 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated, encyclopedic overview of the prophecies, calendars, and theories that indicate the year 2012 is a threshold of great change for humanity • Looks at the scientific and anthropological evidence for the rare galactic alignment due to occur in December 2012 • Sifts through the catastrophic theories to show what we might really expect in 2012 In December of 2012 the Mayan Calendar’s Great Cycle will come to an end. Opinion remains divided as to whether apocalyptic scenarios of worldwide destruction or utopian visions of a spiritually renewed humanity will prevail after this key date has passed. What is certain, however, is that a rare galactic alignment will occur, one so unique that it is found at the core of many wisdom traditions from around the globe. Geoff Stray has been collecting the vast amounts of data relating to the 2012 phenomena since 1982. Far from confining his research to the Maya, who provide the most prominent predictions indicating this date will herald significant changes for humanity, he has studied the prophetic traditions of other cultures--including the Tibetan, Chinese, Jewish, Ethiopian, and tribal cultures from around the globe--to show the kind of convergence of cosmic purposes happening along a number of parallel tracks. This book offers an extensive study of many modern theories, including Terence McKenna’s timewave zero and Maurice Cotterell’s sunspot research as well as anomalous phenomena such as near death experiences and crop circles. Sifting through all the scientific research and speculation that the year 2012 has inspired, Geoff Stray provides an encyclopedic look at what we might really expect on this pivotal date.

American Book Publishing Record

Download American Book Publishing Record PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis American Book Publishing Record by :

Download or read book American Book Publishing Record written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft -- Pearson eText

Download The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft -- Pearson eText PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317350219
Total Pages : 285 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (173 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft -- Pearson eText by : Rebecca L Stein

Download or read book The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft -- Pearson eText written by Rebecca L Stein and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-07 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book emphasizes the major concepts of both anthropology and the anthropology of religion and examines religious expression from a cross-cultural perspective while incorporating key theoretical concepts. It is aimed at students encountering anthropology for the first time.

From Huronia to Wendakes

Download From Huronia to Wendakes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806156880
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis From Huronia to Wendakes by : Thomas Peace

Download or read book From Huronia to Wendakes written by Thomas Peace and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2016-09-27 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the first contact with Europeans to the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, the Wendat peoples have been an intrinsic part of North American history. Although the story of these peoples—also known as Wyandot or Wyandotte—has been woven into the narratives of European-Native encounters, colonialism, and conquest, the Wendats’ later experiences remain largely missing from history. From Huronia to Wendakes seeks to fill this gap, countering the common impression that these peoples disappeared after 1650, when they were driven from their homeland Wendake Ehen, also known as Huronia, in modern-day southern Ontario. This collection of essays brings together lesser-known historical accounts of the Wendats from their mid-seventeenth-century dispersal through their establishment of new homelands, called Wendakes, in Quebec, Michigan, Ontario, Kansas, and Oklahoma. What emerges from these varied perspectives is a complex picture that encapsulates both the cultural resilience and the diversity of these peoples. Together, the essays reveal that while the Wendats, like all people, are ever-changing, their nations have developed adaptive strategies to maintain their predispersal culture in the face of such pressures as Christianity and colonial economies. Just as the Wendats have linked multiple Wendakes through migrations forced and voluntary, the various perspectives of these emerging scholars are knitted together by the shared purpose of filling in Wendat history beyond the seventeenth century. This approach, along with the authors’ collaboration with modern Wendat communities, has resulted in a rich and coherent narrative that in turn enriches our understanding of North American history.