Indigenous Americans have been in sporadic two-way contact with foreign people for thousands of years, but detailed information about this topic is largely confined to specialized publications that are inaccessible to the general public. Evidence that ancient foreign cultures reached the United States has low visibility in scholarly archaeological reporting, but there is little doubt that foreigners have left their marks on Native American languages and writing systems, megalithic architecture, fertility religion, astronomy, and other aspects of American life that are apparent to specialists. Gallagher and Dexter’s overview of this material also includes little-known Native American folklore, mystical practices, and traditions. Contact with Ancient America presents this information to curious non-specialists in a provocative and understandable context. It emphasizes the necessity for site recognition and preservation.
The profusely illustrated book is the product of the authors’ 28 years of research and photographing. Contact has 16 color photographs, 70 black and white photographs, and 11 illustrations. A comprehensive bibliography and index document the topics, and the authors often present several points of view about information currently under study.
The text is especially insightful because the authors have worked directly with many of the investigators and made original contributions of their own.
The book is soft cover with a perfect binding. It is printed in an 8 ½ by 11 inch format on quality paper for clear photographic reproduction and in 11 point type suitable for the eyes of older readers. It makes an attractive coffee table book.
Comments by Readers of Contact with Ancient America
This is a marvelous book for those whose thinking about American prehistory is not limited to standard interpretations and who like to make their own evaluations of unexpected findings. Indigenous Americans have been in sporadic two-way contact with other people for thousands of years, but detailed information about this topic is largely confined to specialized publications that are inaccessible to the general public. Although infiltrations by “outsiders” have low visibility in the archaeological record, they have left their marks on language, writing systems, architecture, astronomy, mythology, and other aspects of American life that are apparent to specialists.
Ida Jane Gallagher, with Warren Dexter, has put together a good overview of some of this material including little known folklore, mystical practices, and Amerindian traditions of New England. The book is aimed at the curious non-specialist, and is especially insightful because Gallagher has worked directly with many of the investigators and has made original contributions of her own. She wisely has included a certain amount of speculative material to give the full flavor of claims made over the years. I found it provocative and highly enjoyable.
James L. Guthrie, Ph.D., epigrapher and historical researcher
Contact with Ancient America is a product of many years of hard work. It is profusely illustrated and many of the excellent photos cannot be seen anywhere else. There are topics not covered in other books of its kind. This book will carve a place for itself in the genre of Pre-Columbiana.
Phillip M. Leonard Southwest U. S. decipherer, field explorer
In Contact with Ancient America, Ida Jane Gallagher and Warren W. Dexter present their extensive research in early American culture in a very approachable style for both the academic and lay reader. They challenge us to be open to new theories about connections between early American and other ancient cultures as new evidence is revealed. They also point out the importance of preserving existing structures and artifacts. Their book has opened up a whole new world to me.
Ann Marie McKay, retired English instructor and book illustrator
This subject has always attracted me, and today, paleo-archaeology and anthropology of the western hemisphere seem to be much more openly discussed… Gallagher’s clear presentation of a variety of discoveries is particularly exciting. The book covers a wide spectrum of not only megaliths, mounds, and early copper mining, but also linguistics…A fine job! Samuel Hilbert
All Categories
