New Book published by Dr William Lovis – The Geoarchaeology of Lake Michigan Coastal Dunes


The Geoarchaeology of Lake Michigan Coastal Dunes, the recently released book coauthored by Drs. William Lovis (MSU Anthropology), Alan Arbogast (MSU Geography), and G. William Monaghan (Indiana University), is the culmination of almost seven years of research and writing.  Published in the Michigan Department of Transportation Environmental Series, edited by MSU alumnus James Robertson, and produced by MSU Press, the volume explores the taphonomy and differential temporal and spatial preservation of archaeological sites in the Lake Michigan coastal dunes.  The research employed innovative approaches to paleoenvironmental reconstruction focusing on the relationship between changing climate and the activation of coastal sand supply.  With funding from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act or ISTEA, through the Michigan Department of Transportation, the research reported in this book has significant policy implications for land managers responsible for the protection of Michigan’s archaeological and heritage resources on public lands at the Federal, State, and more local levels.   The research complements prior work by Lovis and colleagues on site preservation on the alluvial floodplains of southern Michigan.