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Simon & Schuster

In Search of the Old Ones

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Description

An exuberant, hands-on fly-on-the-wall account that combines the thrill of canyoneering and rock climbing with the intellectual sleuthing of archaeology to explore the Anasazi. David Roberts describes the culture of the Anasazi—the name means “enemy ancestors” in Navajo—who once inhabited the Colorado Plateau and whose modern descendants are the Hopi Indians of Arizona. Archaeologists, Roberts writes, have been puzzling over the Anasazi for more than a century, trying to determine the environmental and cultural stresses that caused their society to collapse 700 years ago. He guides us through controversies in the historical record, among them the haunting question of whether the Anasazi committed acts of cannibalism. Roberts’s book is full of up-to-date thinking on the culture of the ancient people who lived in the harsh desert country of the Southwest. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 9, 1997


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684832127


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 28


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.44 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #220,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #89 in Archaeology (Books) #404 in Native American History (Books) #1,504 in U.S. State & Local History


#89 in Archaeology (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Excellent Book
Format: Paperback
Excellent book. In depth information. Extremely well written. Best book on the subject.
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2026 by Patti Simons
    • This is the best book from which to learn this complex history.
Format: Hardcover
I have visited many of the Ancient Pueblo ruins in the SW and have been looking for a book on the puzzling history of these people. Most of those I have read have provided but disconnected fragments of this complex tale. This is the one you will want to read in order to acquire some grasp of this subject. Congenially written it combines solid information of the history along with beautiful descriptions of the harsh, remote landscape. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2025 by tele
    • Great primer before a southwest vacation
Format: Kindle
I read this right before a vacation road trip from California through Monument Valley to Santa Fe. Unfortunately, the kid's Spring Break was one week before NPS opened up the trails to most of the cliff dwellings. This book filled in a lot of the background and shared some secrets that the NPS can't talk about. This book allowed me greater insight into Anasazi culture. It meant I better understood the ruins, petroglyphs and other details before I was exploring Chaco Canyon. As a layman, I appreciate the down to earth writing (I work with archaeologists and I know this was not scholarly). I really appreciated that the author didn't include a lot of New Agey crap, but showed respect to Native beliefs. Better quality maps and photographs in the Kindle edition would have added a lot to this work. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2013 by Mrs. K
    • Journies of wonder
Format: Paperback
We're with Roberts scrambling along the edge of a cliff exploring the fringes of an ancient dwelling as he discovers an artifact - a pot that possibly hasn't been seen since it was abandoned hundreds of years ago. And so it starts even in the prologue with the author inviting you along on his explorations revealing the wonder of this ancient society that suddenly disappeared around 700 years ago. Roberts is a fearless climber who is intensively interested in the history of the Anasazi cliff dwellers of the Southwest. Fortunately for us, he is an adept writer that can have us feel like we're alongside of him. Meanwhile, the depth of knowledge of previous explorers doesn't tire, and we share in the excitement as he sees their marks. Well, we're simultaneously excited and uncomfortable as the author struggles with balancing his passion for history with his passion for leaving the sites undisturbed. For example, even while he's excited to see the marks of his predecessors, he's loath to leave his own mark on these places he discovers. Unlike those he followed, he develops an intense concern for the sustainability of the artifacts he discovers. Both ethically (since current tribes treat these places with reverence) and historically driven to leave things as he found them. Above all, this book provides a balanced view of who these people were both culturally as well as in the grand scheme of society. He shares the theories of their origination and evolution to current day civilizations and possible ties to those of the past. With so much still unknown, we're engaged by the mystery and immersion in his travels of discovery. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2010 by joiseyshowaa
    • Best Starter Book on Southwest Indian Roots
Format: Paperback
The book is an easy read, very personal feel. David Roberts was a master at weaving personal stories into his instructive history of the ancient Pueblo and and the quest for knowledge about them. He puts a modern context on the thousands of ruins across the Southwest. Best book to start with if you’re going to hike the Four Corners looking for old ruins and petroglyphs. Very accessible to the reader. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2023 by Ron P
    • Very well written
Format: Paperback
I would recommend this book and any other on this subject by writer David Roberts. It was difficult to put it down, and after reading this excellent book on archaeology in the desert southwest, I bought more as gifts for my archaeologist friends and other titles by Roberts for myself. His writing style allows the reader to practically live the adventures as though he/she were there. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023 by William F. Chapman, Jr.
    • Felt like I was there
Format: Paperback
Read this book after returning from a Chaco excursion in mid May. Reminded me of my well-informed guide's many lectures and solidified my love for the adventurous heart. I could not put the book down. I wish he had spent more time discussing archeoastronomy, but that might have been too much of a distraction of his main themes. I am grateful for stumbling upon this book. I lament that I failed to be more adventurous earlier in my life, while being so grateful for the continuous series of surprises I encounter when I take the time to observe. Enjoy this read. And thank you, David Robert's, for telling your story. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023 by C. J
    • Good overview, but annoying author!
Format: Paperback
I was looking for an easy-to-read book that would still provide solid recent science about the great civilizations of the American Southwest. This book is now almost 30 years old, but it was still one of the newer ones I could find for the general reader (as opposed to archaeology scholars). It was an engaging read, although I found the author's focus on himself and his own adventures a rather annoying distraction from the "meat" of the subject (who these people were, what they were like, why they appear to have vanished). He does a decent job setting out the various theories and perspectives on these topics, though, and I was surprised how much I'd actually absorbed by the end of the book. Could have done with less editorializing on his part, though, especially since he really isn't an authority in this area--just a dedicated hobbyist. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2021 by liseinthegrove

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