Booknotes: Historical Archaeology of Arkansas

New Arrival:
• Historical Archaeology of Arkansas: A Hidden Diversity edited by Carl G. Drexler (Univ of Tenn Press, 2016).

"In nine essays that range from Civil War sites to the Ozark Mountains to the nineteenth-century Jewish community, Drexler and his contributors present an Arkansas unknown to all but those dedicated individuals working to publicize the state’s hidden diversity. The research presented herein depicts a strong state and federal commitment to documenting Arkansas’s history, perhaps unmatched by any other state in America, and the success of public archaeology through the efforts of the Arkansas Archaeological Survey. Historical Archaeology of Arkansas not only showcases the natural beauty and rich history of Arkansas, but it also serves as a primer for historical inquiry for other state and federal organizations looking to bolster their own programs."

If you're interested in the subject, archaeological investigations published by university presses like Tennessee and Florida are always worth checking out. This anthology is not focused on the Civil War but there are a pair of essays that address aspects of the conflict in Arkansas (the Confederate cemetery at Fayetteville and the employment of Missouri State Guard artillery at Pea Ridge).