Kennewick Man's Ancient Secrets Told in 680-Page Book

For 18 years, scientists have puzzled over the 9,000-year-old bones of an early American known as Kennewick Man — and Native American tribes have sought to get those bones returned for reburial. Now, a 680-page book with contributions from dozens of authors lays out their best guesses as to the controversial skeleton's origins. Their analysis suggests that the 5-foot-7 man came down to Washington state from the Far North, relied primarily on a diet of fish and seals, and drank from glacier-fed streams.

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For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

"Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton" was edited by Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and forensic anthropologist Richard Jantz. Considering Owsley's affiliation, it's natural for Smithsonian Magazine to have the details. The skeleton, found on the banks of the Columbia River in 1996, was the subject of a years-long legal clash involving scientists, tribal leaders and the federal government. For now, the bones are considered the property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are held at the University of Washington's Burke Museum in Seattle.

IN-DEPTH

• Bones Tell Ancient Tale of Kennewick Man
• 12,000-Year-Old Girl's DNA Reveals First Americans' Roots
• Kennewick Man Freed to Share His Secrets (Smithsonian)

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— Alan Boyle