Faces from the Past: Forgotten People of North America

Once, no humans lived on the continent of North America; then they began to journey, the first migrants arriving perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. When a skeleton from long-ago centuries is discovered, scientists want to study it for information about the person’s life and death, about her or his time and place in history. Sometimes artists are asked to reconstruct faces from the past using copies of their skulls. Then these nameless, unknown people can be ＂brought back to life＂--remembered, and honored.

Now, when their skeletons are discovered, their stories can be told.

James M. Deem is the author of numerous books for young readers, including the 2009 Sibert Honor Book Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past. He lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Visit his website at www.jamesmdeem.com.