David Baerreis’ review of The Effigy Mound Culture of Wisconsin, by Chandler Rowe (American Antiquity, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 320–1), includes certain criticisms of methods and procedures underlying the author’s treat’ ment of his subject that raise important questions as to the general status of archaeological concept and methodology.

For example, commenting on Rowe’s rejection of the early guess that effigy mound shapes represent clan symbols, Baerreis appears to argue that at some time, some tribe or tribes could possibly have possessed totemic patterns that might account for effigy mound shapes.