"Samuel C. Dellinger (1892-1973) made it his life's work to ensure that future Arkansans would remember their state's prehistoric past. He gathered nearly eight thousand prehistoric artifacts in order to keep them from going to out-of-state museums - including Harvard's Peabody, the Field in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Institution - and private collectors. This collection of prehistoric Native American artifacts is now recognized as one of the finest in the country.".

"Sam Dellinger: Raiders of the Lost Arkansas grew out of an exhibition about Dellinger's life and work that was curated by Robert C. Mainfort Jr. at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. This book includes a detailed biography of Dellinger, as well as a discussion of his work, an overview of major collecting efforts in Arkansas by out-of-state institutions, and a history of the University of Arkansas Museum. Lavishly illustrated with over two hundred images of artifacts, this book will now permit archaeologists to see some of the pieces Dellinger's lifetime of work saved and preserved."--BOOK JACKET.