Ancient Ruins and Rock Art of the Southwest: An Archaeological Guide

This is an excellent archeological guide to many of the more prominent ruins and rock art sites in the southwest. It is archeologicalally ofiented, but the writing is very jargon free. It gives a nice historical overview of the sites and the significance of them in terms of the ancient history of the southwest. Ice color photos throughout the book too.

Excellent! There is a very good summary of the history of each culture and their ruins, which is how the book is organized. The descriptions of each sight is very complete. Because it is organized by culture, not location, it does take a bit of crosschecking to find what is in the region you will be traveling through.

This is the latest edition of several by the author with similar titles and is by far his best. It stands atop the list, in my opinion, of the many books and guides I've used over the past forty years traveling to view and study Southwestern rock art and ancient Native American cultural sites. Although regional maps listing all the sites are provided, the only shortcoming for me, and it shouldn't be a deal breaker for anyone, is that the book does not include specific maps for most of the many individual sites it covers. Since many of these sites, especially the major ones, already afford visitors "walking around" guides, this shortcoming is rather easily overlooked. Having said that, I must note that Mr. Noble provides specific directions for locating each of the 130 or so sites he describes, in addition to background information to put each site in historical context, plus enough detail about specific features, structures, etc. to allow the reader to explore these sites with heightened understanding and appreciation. The author provides contact and access information for sites as needed, fee information and other logistical data, plus suggested reading for those who want more information about most, if not all, of the sites described. This book, plus Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen and Rock Art Along the Way, now make up my "kit" whenever I head out to explore "Indian Country."

Great resource guide complete with info not only on the sites, but also on services available nearby, food, water, fuel, camping, phone numbers, road conditions, and directions.Dave@Texas

The book serves as a nice travel guide to archaeological sites in the Southwest.

As a fan of ruins in the Southwest, this book brought back memories and also suggested new places for us to explore. The book has great colored glossy photos and information. I am very pleased.

A great book to help track down some of the best rock art and ruins. An essential guide that will enrich one's understanding.

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