The First North Americans

Writing for lay readers, Fagan (anthropology, emeritus, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Cro-Magnon: How the Ice Age Gave Birth to the First Modern Humans) synthesizes theories and archaeological data in his survey of approximately 15,000 years of Native American history and culture in North America. He begins by examining several of the theories concerning the arrival of native peoples on the continent but cautions that the paucity of evidence makes it too early to make definitive statements on the topic. He then traces the evolution of cultures in various locales, beginning with the Paleo-Indians and ending with Native American groups such as the Iroquois and Pueblo at the time of European contact. A particular strength of the work is the author's examination of Mound Builder ritual and cosmology, which are presently hot topics among academics but scarcely mentioned in books aimed at the general public.