Stunning new archaeological discoveries in North America, notably in California and the Mississippi Valley, and in South America, notably in the Amazon rainforest, together with new genetic evidence, have launched a revolution in our understanding of the remote past of our species and of the origins of civilization. Apart from a few intriguing headlines, however, this revolution has been confined to academic conferences and the obscure pages of scientific journals, and the global public has not been well informed about the shattering implications of the latest research.