Shamans of the lost world : a cognitive approach to the prehistoric religion of the Ohio Hopewell /

Shamanism is an area of great interest to many today, and Romain (Ohio State Univ.) utilizes archaeology, cognitive science, and comparative ethnography to reconstruct and understand the shamanism of the Hopewell mound builders of the US Midwest. One of Romain's most fascinating efforts is to interpret the art of some of the Hopewell gorgets and other artifacts, reassembling some of the designs and motifs to link them with mythological figures. The author also explores the roles of entheogens (Amanita) in Hopewell culture. Ultimately, the shamanic worldview is embedded in human psyches because it emanates from human psyches: "Because as humans, we share with our earliest ancestors the same basic mind-brain-body relationships to the real world that generated the shamanic worldview in the first place." Essential for programs in anthropology, archaeology, and cognitive, religious, and Native American studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. L. M. Foster University of Montana - Helena