"By the 18th century, the modern Catawba Indians were living along the river and throughout the valley that bears their name near the present North Carolina/South Carolina border, but little was known of their history and origins. With this elegant study, David Moore proposes a model that bridges the archaeological record of the protohistoric Catawba Valley with written accounts of the Catawba Indians from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.".

"Supported by photographs of artifacts and data-rich appendixes, this book is a classic study that induces us to contemplate a Catawba genesis and homeland more significant than traditionally supposed. It will appeal to professional archaeologists concerned with many topics - Mississippian, Lamar, early historic Indians, de Soto and Pardo, and chiefdom studies - as well as to the broader public interested in the archaeology of the Carolinas."--BOOK JACKET.