the peoples of America and their population at beginning European conquest: Contribution to approach a controversial figure

This book is intended for readers and researchers with a particular interest in the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is intended to be scholarly. The book's main objective is to estimate the original population of the Americas at the beginning of European conquest and colonization. To this end, the population figures of approximately 1,500 peoples or ethnic groups were estimated based on historical sources and - where available - archaeological research findings.This is likely the first time that estimates of the original population of all individual peoples in Mesoamerica - that is, the region of advanced civilizations in Mexico and Guatemala - have been made and thoroughly substantiated.All known peoples and ethnic groups of ancient America are listed in tables and depicted on 16 maps indicating their habitats. Six additional maps illustrate their affiliation with language families as well as population densities derived from the population estimates and the assigned territories.Tables show the ancient American language families along with their original number of native speakers, as well as the past and present Native American populations of all the modern states on the American continents.The estimates presented here are compared in detail with those of ROSENBLAT (1945), STEWARD (1949), BORAH and COOK (1963), and DENEVAN (1992).