A detailed archaeological encyclopedia cataloguing prehistoric North American material culture, focusing on stone, shell, bone, copper, pottery, textiles, and hematite artifacts. It classifies and illustrates thousands of implements, ornaments, effigies, pipes, tools, and ceremonial objects with plates and figures; examines regional variations across eastern Canada, the Plains, Utah, and Dakota; discusses fabrication techniques, distribution patterns, and functions of key types such as bird-stones and native copper implements; and treats mortars, pestles, pottery styles, and miscellaneous relics. Concluding chapters synthesize ancient population, cultural groupings, adaptation to environments, art, antiquity, and recommend directions for further field study.