Title
Sins Of The Shovel: Looting, Murder, And The Evolution Of American Archaeology,New
Sold by Ergodebooks, an authorized reseller.
Returns accepted within 30 days | support@ergodebooks.com
Shipping Information
- Free Standard Shipping — United States only
- Processing Time: 1–3 business days
- Estimated Delivery: 3–5 business days after dispatch
- Double-boxed, fully insured & discreetly packaged
- Tracking number sent via email once dispatched
- Orders over $250 require signature upon delivery. Taxes calculated at checkout.
Returns & Refund
Returns accepted within 30 days of delivery.
Damaged or Defective Item
Free return shipping + replacement or full refund
Wrong Item Received
Free return shipping + replacement or full refund
Change of Mind
Return shipping at customer's expense · 25% restocking fee applies
Payment Option
An incisive history of early American archaeologyfrom reckless looting to professional scienceand the fields unfinished efforts to make amends today, told 'with passion, indignation, and a dash of suspense' (New York Times).American archaeology was forever scarred by an 1893 business proposition between cowboyturnedexcavator Richard Wetherill and socialitesturnedantiquarians Fred and Talbot Hyde. Wetherill had stumbled upon Mesa Verdes spectacular cliff dwellings and started selling artifacts, but with the Hydes money behind him, welltheres no telling what they might discover. Thus begins the Hyde Exploring Expedition, a nineyear venture into Utahs Grand Gulch and New Mexicos Chaco Canyon thatcoupled with other lessrestrained lootersso devastates Indigenous cultural sites across the American Southwest that Congress passes firstoftheirkind regulations to stop the carnage. As the money dries up, tensions rise, and a onceprofitable enterprise disintegrates, setting the stage for a tragic murder.Sins of the Shovel is a story of adventure and business gone wrong and how archaeologists today grapple with this complex heritage. Through the story of the Hyde Exploring Expedition, practicing archaeologist Rachel Morgan uncovers the uncomfortable links between commodity culture, contemporary ethics, and the broader political forces that perpetuate destructive behavior today. The result is an unsparing and evenhanded assessment of American archaeologys sins, past and present, and how the field is working toward atonement.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.