In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries prehistoric earthworks were to be seen throughout North America. Fascinated colonialist and European settlers attributed these mysterious mounds to mythic Eurocentric sources rather recognizing them as evidence of prehistoric Amerinds. By the end of the nineteenth century interest in the moundbuilders and their earthworks had waned. Treasure hunters had ransacked most of the ancient sites and many earthworks succumbed to the plow or newly constructed towns. Thousands of earthworks and moundbuilder artifacts vanished forever. This book depicts many ancient sites in over 120 historic maps and photographs, and in photographs and line drawings. Each site is identified and briefly described in its appropriate period section, The Archaic Period (to 500 BC); The Ohio Period (500 BC-AD 500); and The Mississippi Period (AD 500-1500). An Epilogue and 3 Appendices follow. The appendices contain: an alphabetical site listing by state; "Gallery of Artifacts," presenting 50 illustrations of motifs and artifacts, and a selected reading list. (MM)