Gods of Thunder in Precolonial America - Interview with Tim Pauketat

Video

Timothy R. Pauketat is an American archaeologist, director of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, the Illinois State Archaeologist, and professor of anthropology and medieval studies at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is known for his historical theories and his investigations at Cahokia, the major center of precolonial Mississippian culture in the American Bottom region of Illinois near St. Louis, Missouri.

In his book, readers will discover a new history of a continent that, like today, was being shaped by climate change—or controlled by ancient gods of wind and water. Through such elemental powers, the history of Medieval America was a physical narrative, a long-term natural and cultural experience in which Native people were entwined long before Christopher Columbus arrived or Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs.

Spanning most of the North American continent, Gods of Thunder focuses on remarkable parallels between pre-contact American civilizations separated by a thousand miles or more. Key archaeological sites are featured in every chapter, leading us down an evidentiary trail toward the book's conclusion that a great religious movement swept Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the Mississippi valley, sometimes because of worsening living conditions and sometimes by improved agricultural yields thanks to global warming a thousand years ago. The author also includes a guide to visiting the archaeological sites discussed in the book.

— BUY THE BOOK HERE —
Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spirituality Reshaped Precolonial America https://global.oup.com/academic/product/gods-of-thunder-9780197645109?cc=de&lang=en&

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
0:59 What is the book about?
3:03 Where do archeologists gather information about climate change?
6:45 Why did you write this book?
11:27 What are some fascinating facts that came up during research?
15:16 What evidence did cults leave behind?
18:57 What do you want people to know?
20:20 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Medieval Climate Anomaly in the Americas https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2147/medieval-climate-anomaly-in-the-americas/
The Norse in America: Fact and Fiction https://www.worldhistory.org/article/...
Leif Erikson https://www.worldhistory.org/Leif_Eri...
Vinland https://www.worldhistory.org/Vinland/
Viking Age Greenland https://www.worldhistory.org/article/...
Vikings https://www.worldhistory.org/Vikings/
European Colonization of the Americas https://www.worldhistory.org/European...

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— FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TIM —
https://www.isas.illinois.edu/office_of_the_illinois_state_archaeologist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Pauketat

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— ATTRIBUTIONS —
The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
https://www.ancientlyre.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9 / @michaellevymusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

World History Encyclopedia
www.worldhistory.org

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