Feder confesses that at one time he was inclined to believe that some of these ideas might be true and he discusses how his thinking evolved through experimentation and by finding serious errors in the claims made by the proponents.

He emphasizes the crucial importance of creativity and imagination as part of the scientific process in order to come up with possible explanations for things that are currently not understood.

Public opinion at the time was biased by biblical passages about the sons of Noah populating the earth and about the lost tribes of Israel.

Feder discusses the successful prediction of a land bridge to Asia during the last ice age and evidence that the American Indians were in fact descended from Asians.

He then proceeds to discuss the one proven claim: that the Vikings made voyages to Greenland and from there, in the late 10th century, to Vinland (now Newfoundland, Canada).

Feder emphasizes the importance of verifying claims by finding good and abundant evidence: artifacts such as bones, remains of dwellings, artwork, and tools.

The early attempts by archaeologists to understand them were greatly hampered by the mistaken and racist idea that the mound builders were too advanced to possibly be related to the Native Americans.

He discusses the lack of any real evidence of the existence of this supposed lost civilization and goes into detail about the many popular ideas that have been brought forth over the years.

It's been suggested that aliens from outer space visited the earth several thousand years ago and taught or helped humans to construct some of the great monuments of antiquity such as the Egyptian pyramids.

Feder discusses Erich von Däniken, who produced a long series of books, beginning in 1970 with "Chariots of the Gods?".

Von Däniken's "evidence" includes his interpretation of some ancient rock art (petroglyphs) as depicting aliens, astronauts, and space ships.

Dating to about 11,600 years ago, the massive stone pillars at Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey, with intricate carvings of animals, is one of the first to provide evidence of monumental architecture.

He also discusses real technology that exists which can help locate archaeological sites and buried structures without actually digging, such as Lidar, ground-penetrating radar, and magnetometry using a fluxgate gradiometer.

In a recent review, Jacob J. Sauer of Vanderbilt University says "There is no other book I would recommend more to colleagues--or to anybody interested in learning more about archaeological myths and mysteries.

It does a fabulous job of educating the public regarding a systematic scientific approach to archaeological problems, and offers alternative explanations for a range of popular frauds and myths relating to the human past.

One reviewer of the 1st edition states "The book should both be of general interest and prove useful as a supplemental text for introductory archaeology courses.

[5][6][7] Bettina Arnold, a professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, writes that this book "has influenced thousands of undergraduates in introductory courses across the country (and presumably overseas as well), a significant contribution to the everlasting struggle to maintain some control over how professional archaeology is perceived by the general public.

"[8] One reviewer, who was otherwise quite positive, found Feder's occasional use of sarcasm somewhat "off-putting," such as where he states in regards to claims about Noah's ark being scientifically feasible, "Obviously, a 30-ton, 40-foot-tall, 100-foot-long Supersaurus would have been more than a little cramped in its quarters.

For example, Heather Rockwell of University of Wyoming says "Feder's sardonic wit, amusing personal anecdotes, and rigorous attention to detail makes it essential reading for the aspiring archaeologist.