Dan Flores

But for the women who carried babies to term or close to it, infanticide in particular was a psychological burden. Ultimately, many hunter-gatherers sought to escape it. But the larger equation was relentless. The hunting-gathering economy was still the predator's economy, and predators of whatever kind were always few compared to prey.

But for the women who carried babies to term or close to it, infanticide in particular was a psychological burden. Ultimately, many hunter-gatherers sought to escape it. But the larger equation was relentless. The hunting-gathering economy was still the predator's economy, and predators of whatever kind were always few compared to prey.

But for the women who carried babies to term or close to it, infanticide in particular was a psychological burden. Ultimately, many hunter-gatherers sought to escape it. But the larger equation was relentless. The hunting-gathering economy was still the predator's economy, and predators of whatever kind were always few compared to prey.

Hunting and gathering required space to roam, habitats for birds and mammals. Living the good life meant you could not overburden the world with people. There was one possibility to increase human numbers, but it meant giving up much of humanity's ancient life and investing in an entirely new economy.

Hunting and gathering required space to roam, habitats for birds and mammals. Living the good life meant you could not overburden the world with people. There was one possibility to increase human numbers, but it meant giving up much of humanity's ancient life and investing in an entirely new economy.

Hunting and gathering required space to roam, habitats for birds and mammals. Living the good life meant you could not overburden the world with people. There was one possibility to increase human numbers, but it meant giving up much of humanity's ancient life and investing in an entirely new economy.

Around 5,000 years ago, an agricultural revolution similar to the one that swept the old world began to spread into North America from the South. The selection and domestication of wild plants emerged where human populations were densest and animal populations lowest, namely crowded Mesoamerica.

Around 5,000 years ago, an agricultural revolution similar to the one that swept the old world began to spread into North America from the South. The selection and domestication of wild plants emerged where human populations were densest and animal populations lowest, namely crowded Mesoamerica.

Around 5,000 years ago, an agricultural revolution similar to the one that swept the old world began to spread into North America from the South. The selection and domestication of wild plants emerged where human populations were densest and animal populations lowest, namely crowded Mesoamerica.

Unknown traders and travelers first carried ideas about domestication northward about 4,000 years ago, and later the actual seed stocks of Mexican agriculture. So over the ensuing millennia, crop fields and farming towns began to dot Native America from the south to southern New England, then along the river valleys of the Midwest, and even in scattered locations in the desert southwest.

Unknown traders and travelers first carried ideas about domestication northward about 4,000 years ago, and later the actual seed stocks of Mexican agriculture. So over the ensuing millennia, crop fields and farming towns began to dot Native America from the south to southern New England, then along the river valleys of the Midwest, and even in scattered locations in the desert southwest.

Unknown traders and travelers first carried ideas about domestication northward about 4,000 years ago, and later the actual seed stocks of Mexican agriculture. So over the ensuing millennia, crop fields and farming towns began to dot Native America from the south to southern New England, then along the river valleys of the Midwest, and even in scattered locations in the desert southwest.

Once the agricultural transformation took root, populations began to grow and sometimes centralized governing bodies, usually religious ones, organized towns into regional empires we know as Cahokia, Spiro Mounds, Pohokam, and the Chacoan Empire, which I talked about in our first podcast. All of these were very late experiments in the last thousand years of Native America.

Once the agricultural transformation took root, populations began to grow and sometimes centralized governing bodies, usually religious ones, organized towns into regional empires we know as Cahokia, Spiro Mounds, Pohokam, and the Chacoan Empire, which I talked about in our first podcast. All of these were very late experiments in the last thousand years of Native America.

Once the agricultural transformation took root, populations began to grow and sometimes centralized governing bodies, usually religious ones, organized towns into regional empires we know as Cahokia, Spiro Mounds, Pohokam, and the Chacoan Empire, which I talked about in our first podcast. All of these were very late experiments in the last thousand years of Native America.

But in vast regions of America, agriculture never replaced hunting and gathering. So wedded were Native people to the hunt that even as agricultural towns emerged, many of the farmers continued to hunt, at least seasonally. Some returned exclusively to hunting when circumstances allowed. What sort of human existence could be better?

But in vast regions of America, agriculture never replaced hunting and gathering. So wedded were Native people to the hunt that even as agricultural towns emerged, many of the farmers continued to hunt, at least seasonally. Some returned exclusively to hunting when circumstances allowed. What sort of human existence could be better?

But in vast regions of America, agriculture never replaced hunting and gathering. So wedded were Native people to the hunt that even as agricultural towns emerged, many of the farmers continued to hunt, at least seasonally. Some returned exclusively to hunting when circumstances allowed. What sort of human existence could be better?

All the evidence indicates that America's Native people lived immersed in art, stories, and observations designed around the grand theme of understanding themselves in a sometimes impenetrable world. The oldest named characters in North American history, in fact, are the deities who created the continent and its life and set in motion human life with all of its victories and tragedies.

All the evidence indicates that America's Native people lived immersed in art, stories, and observations designed around the grand theme of understanding themselves in a sometimes impenetrable world. The oldest named characters in North American history, in fact, are the deities who created the continent and its life and set in motion human life with all of its victories and tragedies.