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Book Description

Forty years ago, an amateur historian discovered an engraved mastodon bone near Mexico City, showing a virtual bestiary from the Ice Age. Harvard University took notice and excavated nearby sites around the Valsequillo Reservoir. They found perfectly buried kill sites with the oldest spearheads in the world. Some archaeologists postulated their age at 40,000 years, three times older than the official 12,000-year-old date for the first Americans. Then the shocker--United States Geology Survey (USGS) geologists came up with the date of 250,000 years old!

Even though these dates were published in peer-reviewed geological journals, archaeologists wrote off the geologists, saying they were mistaken and that their dates were too ridiculously old. Archaeologists never returned to the site and curiosity died out. Soon after, this once world-class archaeology region became off-limits for official research, a "professional forbidden zone."

The Valsequillo discoveries were legendary, but regarded as "fringe" by professional archaeologists. Why this radical turn-about? What was found that was so unspeakable, so impossible? What happened to these artifacts--America's earliest art and spearheads, and why don't archaeologists seem to care? In the new book, The First American, archaeologist Christopher Hardaker tries to unearth the mystery.

The book details the events of the discovery and its subsequent dismissal, as well as the attempt in 2001 by a wealthy outsider to find the truth about the Valsequillo discoveries. Included in The First American are photos of the original artifacts, and excerpts from reports, letters, and memos from the site participants themselves.

Archaeologists will once again be forced to ask the same question their mentors asked: Are we too in love with our own theories to ignore the evidence of science yet again? And readers will hear the real story of the great Valsequillo discoveries, the greatest story of early American man never told.

About the Author
Christopher Hardaker earned an MA in anthropology from the University of Arizona and has worked as a field archaeologist for 30 years, dividing his research between the nature of stone tools and using simple geometry to explore architectural traditions ranging from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, to Washington, D.C. He first learned of the "professionally forbidden" older horizons of New World prehistory in 1977 on a visit to the Mojave Desert's Calico Early Man site established by the legendary Louis S. B. Leakey. It was there that he first heard the name Valsequillo. He is currently analyzing the astonishing 60,000-plus artifacts from Calico.

I pre-ordered as well....also took the opportunity to order Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." WTH.

Oh for the days of the wealthy patron when the archaeologist didn't have to worry so much if he trod on some toes.

Charlie Hatchett wrote:

I pre-ordered as well....also took the opportunity to order Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." WTH.

I've heard Dawkin's book is very good, but have the internet handy...I hear he uses some pretty advanced terminology.

It was one of Amazon's "suggestions" for me. I guess they've figured me out.

Re: Chris Hardaker's The First American
Posted by: chard (IP Logged)
Date: January 19, 2007 11:00PM

Hi Folks,

There was a great gulf of time in between archaeological excavations at Valsequillo, specifically Hueyatlaco, the highest site, and the most productive on several levels, including an in situ technological transition.

The last year Cynthia Irwin-Williams dug there was 1966.
In 1973, Hal Malde, the lead geologist, got permission from Jose Lorenzo to do a geological trench, but no archaeology. It was the results of this expedition that became the 1981 QR paper, eight years later.

The next time there was any kind of excavation at Hueyatlaco was 2001, which was inspired by Marshall Payn, an outsider (MIT engineering graduate, past president of the Epigraphic Society), in conjunction with UNAM and INAH. There was a 35-year gulf between archaeological investigations, and none after 1973. The dates alone blew everyone out of the water. Kind of like Calico in 1970 when antiquity for the site was beginning to look a lot more like a half-million years. It's pretty tough to stomach, I admit. But at both Calico and Valsequillo, it was age alone that nullified the sites from any practical consideration, artifacts be damned. If anyone has any other resolve, I'd love to hear it.

Since 2001, all hell has broken out at Valsequillo. We got three (count 'em, three) geological models being postulated for the area. 40,000y, 250,000y, and 1,300,000y. (Do I hear 4004 B.C.?)

It is just wild, but it is all great news because it means folks are doing all sorts of work and crossing their t's twice. Anytime you have a lava date (Xalnene Tuff) that is 40,000y by one method and 1,300,000y with another method, you know there is excitement (PC for oops), This will be a feast for geoarchaeologists in the years to come. Around December, an online journal will include lead geologist, Hal Malde (USGS) and others "Debate at Hueyatlaco," which will discuss all three interpretations. Hal did the first geological map of the region during the 1960s. He disagrees with the Waters "recent inset" model, and Sylvia Gonzalez's footprint date of 40,000y. In fact, nobody agrees with anybody else, because, I guess if they do, they negate their own model. Could be a series. CSI Hueyatlaco.

Hopefully, this year, Waters or somebody(!!!) will collect bone samples for Uranium series tests, like he wanted to do in 2006 but never did. I guess we'll know by April or May when (and if) the dry season arrives.

Chris Hardaker

That's very exciting. Seems like it's feast or famine down there. After all this time and now there are science teams all over the place.

Even the lowest considered date of 40kya will rock the world. They'll have to throw out everything they thought they knew.

Sounds like Chris is having a good time.

That totally sums up the Club Charlie.

Charlie Hatchett wrote:

It was one of Amazon's "suggestions" for me. I guess they've figured me out.

Big Brother?

(Do I hear 4004 B.C.?)