Gods of thunder : how climate change, travel, and spirituality reshaped precolonial America /
The earth's climate warmed from the 9th through the 13th centuries CE. Named the Medieval Warm Period, these centuries were a time of great historical change in precolonial North America, as evidenced through archaeology. While scholars have previously suggested the existence of long-distance t...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
2022.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | The earth's climate warmed from the 9th through the 13th centuries CE. Named the Medieval Warm Period, these centuries were a time of great historical change in precolonial North America, as evidenced through archaeology. While scholars have previously suggested the existence of long-distance ties between the civilizations of Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, & the Mississippi valley, no one until now has argued that climate change & religion, not trade, were the reasons for these far-flung connections. The book argues that a common supernatural being, the Wind-That-Brings-Rain or Thunderer god, emerged because of climatic factors to drive the development of a series of interrelated religious movements across the continent. These movements were based around a common circular shrine or pyramid where people worshiped the powers of the wind & rain - the essential life-giving forces of global climate. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Also issued in print: 2023. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource : illustrations (black and white, and colour), maps (black and white, and colour). |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780197645130 0197645135 |