Their Skeletons Speak

September 15, 2012
An attractive volume digs deeply into stories of ancient American skeletons. Walker, a Sibert Award winner, and Owsley, division head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, join forces to bring alive the history of Paleoamericans, a term used in the book to mean human remains older than 8,000 years. The narrative focuses on the Kennewick man, a skeleton found in Kennewick, Wash., in 1996, but it also looks at Paleoamerican remains from Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and California. It describes the exhaustive detail in which scientists study the Paleoamerican skeletons, artifacts found with them and excavation sites. Smooth writing, although not as compelling as Walker's Written in Bone (2009), takes readers through two intensive exams of the Kennewick skeleton done five years apart (Owsley was a member of the second examination team). Juxtaposing the two exams illustrates how new technologies and fresh eyes can change scientists' understanding of such remains, a major theme throughout the book. Another recurring topic concerns how the Paleoamerican findings shed light on the origins and routes of humans who first settled North America, important questions still unresolved. Color photographs and diagrams with helpful captions extend the text; occasional sidebars expand on topics like bone fractures and radiocarbon dating. The final chapter highlights a fascinating reconstruction of the Kennewick man's face and head. A special treat for archaeology buffs. (source notes, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

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December 1, 2012
Grades 6-9 The discovery came in 1996 when a passerby reached into the Columbia River to pull out a rock. As Walker colorfully puts it, he literally found himself face-to-face with Kennewick Man. The nearly complete 9,400-year-old skeleton has been the focus of both study and controversies ever since. Here Walker and forensic anthropologist Owsley explain the latter (having to do with Native American cultural claims and the skull's distinctly non-Native American features) but devote closer attention to the physical clues presented by the bones' cracks and accretions, patterns of wear on teeth, and other tantalizing but scattered forensic evidence that hints at who Paleoamericans were and how they lived. Along with introducing other North American finds of similar age, such as the Spirit Cave Mummy, the authors show how interpretations of evidence can change or be refined over time and also cover current theories about the migratory origins of the earliest Americans. Enhanced by maps and diagrams as well as photos of discovery sites, remains, and scientists at work, this account imparts a clear sense of how hard and subtle that work isand how exciting, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Walker and Owsley (an anthropologist involved in the research) present a solidly written and documented account of Kennewick Man, a Paleoamerican whose nearly ten-thousand-year-old remains were found in Washington State. The authors build the narrative clue by clue, first in determination of the 1996 find's importance, then through a richly detailed portrait of anthropology. Excellent photographs show the actual evidence and technologies used. Reading list. Bib., ind.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2012
Walker and Owsley present a solidly written and documented account of Kennewick Man, a Paleoamerican whose nearly ten-thousand-year-old remains were found on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington State. The story begins with the thrill and pacing of a crime drama, as the 1996 discovery of a skull in the water turns from a modern forensic mystery into a critical anthropological find. There's even a complicated legal element, as kinship with Kennewick Man was claimed by several Native American tribes calling for adherence to a 1990 law that mandates respectful treatment of ancestral remains. A lawsuit brought by scientists was decided in their favor through reliance on emerging scientific theories about the arrival of the first humans in the Americas approximately fourteen thousand years ago (who may or may not be directly related to the specific Native groups in the lawsuit). Walker and Owsley (one of the anthropologists involved in both the research and the legal case) build the narrative clue by clue, first in determination of the find's importance, then through a richly detailed portrait of the practice of anthropology. Accompanied by excellent color photographs of the actual evidence and technologies used to generate knowledge about Kennewick Man, the authors show just how much can be learned from a collection of bones and the important ways that each find contributes to our understandings of prehistory. (See also books by Berger and Aronson and by Deem in this section.) danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from October 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-This detailed study of the discovery and forensic evaluation of the skeleton dubbed "Kennewick Man" puts forensic TV shows to shame. From his accidental discovery in 1996 through multiple examinations by scientists with ever-improving forensic tools and years of unexpected storage due to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Reparation), an actual human being emerges from a time long gone, speaking to us through his bones. Entering briefly into this long-term investigation are the far more shadowy figures of other Paleoamericans-Spirit Cave Man, Arch Lake Woman, and the Horn Shelter People. Scattered throughout the lucid, readable text are tightly focused informational bits on such topics as CT scans, radiocarbon dating, and NAGPRA practices. Sharp color photos, some nice artwork, and good maps provide clear visuals of the bones themselves, and the features that helped define the man and his life. A final facial reconstruction leaves readers face-to-face with a real person-someone readers would recognize if they met him on the street (we know how tall he was, how much he weighed, that one arm was stronger than the other, etc.). Walker reminds readers that it was not their relics, but living, breathing Paleoamericans who first arrived, settled, lived, and died in the long-gone American past. For those not quite ready for so much detail, try Katherine Kirkpatrick's equally distinguished Mysterious Bones: The Story of the Kennewick Man (Holiday House, 2011). Lucid writing, fine scientific explanations, and attractive bookmaking make this a winner.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

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