Traditions of de-Coo-Dah - Paperback

Traditions of DE-COO-DAH by William Pidgeon

First published in 1852, Traditions of DE-COO-DAH is the only remembered work of American writer William Pidgeon (1818-c.1870). This historical text represents a significant example of 19th-century pseudoscientific approaches to American archaeology and the study of indigenous cultures.

Historical Significance and Academic Context

Pidgeon's work proposed that the burial mounds found throughout North and South America were constructed by an unknown advanced civilization predating American Indians. This theory, which suggested that indigenous peoples could not have created such structures independently, was rejected by leading academic institutions of the time, including the Smithsonian Institute and the American Antiquarian Society.

Modern scholarship recognizes this book as a telling example of the prejudices and methodological flaws prevalent in white researchers of the era. While mounds do exist in the locations Pidgeon describes, archaeological evidence has consistently contradicted his claims regarding their exact location, size, and arrangement. No evidence has ever supported the existence of a more advanced pre-Columbian civilization beyond the American Indians themselves.

Value for Students and Researchers

This primary source document serves as an educational tool for students of history, archaeology, and anthropology. It demonstrates the pitfalls of allowing prejudice and assumption to guide scientific inquiry. The book provides insight into colonial perspectives on indigenous peoples and the development of archaeological methodology in 19th-century America.

Researchers studying the history of American antiquities, the Mound Builder myth, or the evolution of archaeological practices will find this text valuable for understanding how cultural biases influenced early American scholarship. The work stands as both a historical artifact and a cautionary tale about the importance of objective, evidence-based research.

About This Edition

This Cosimo Classics paperback edition preserves Pidgeon's original text, allowing modern readers to examine this controversial work in its entirety. The book provides unfiltered access to the theories and perspectives that shaped 19th-century debates about America's pre-Columbian history.