Where have all the editors gone?, October 13, 2002

Like many others, I have something of an interest in the origins of people, and take some notice of the findings of the scientists whose job it is to gather and interpret hard data. The peopling of the Americas has some special interest, of course, not the least because it is so controversial. The central dogma, found in all the textbooks and encyclopedias of our day, is that the earliest Americans arrived at about 11,000 BC or so ago, and the route was over the Beringian land bridge from Siberia to Alaska.This book, written by a very well informed journalist, is an honest effort at an examination of the data, pro and con, for the dogma, told in a most delightful way. Her method is to read everything, visit every museum involved, and interview everybody involved in the controversy that she can. It is not a dry tome that merely relates the findings, but a sort of personal journey through it, a travelogue to some of the important sites, and a reflection on the meaning of...

Given that Canadian First Peoples have traditions and creation stories that say they come from right here in North America and have been here for Eons; journalist Elaine Dewar wants to know why the tale that passes as history - about arrival by way of the Bering Strait some 11,000 years ago - still remains such a widely held belief. BONES: DISCOVERING THE FIRST AMERICANS is her investigative journey into this subject.

When I spotted _Bones_ I was thrilled. The subject--the peopling of the Americas--is one I am fascinated by. The author is an investigative journalist who spent years tracking down the archaeological sites, the scientists, and the artifacts that promise to reveal when, how and by whom the Americas were first populated.