Readers interested in ancient North America (and who are data-driven, not conspiracy-driven or fans of bad biblical interpretation) would do well to read this old (2011) essay by Kenneth Feder, Bradley T. Lepper, Terry A. Barnhart, and Deborah A. Bolnick:
Civilizations Lost and Found: Fabricating History – Part One: An Alternate Reality
The essay does a nice job of surveying how archaeologists are not mystified by claims made by talking heads on shows like Ancient Aliens and similar dreck. And before any of you post a comment to the effect that by recommending this essay I’m denigrating the Bible … Sorry, but the Bible makes no claims about civilizations and populations in North America. Zero. To think so is to be deeply misinformed.
