Gear was born in
Tulare, California, and graduated with a
B.A. from
California State University, Bakersfield, then went on to do graduate work in archaeology at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She received her M.A. from
California State University, Chico, and conducted Ph.D. studies in American Indian history at the
University of California, Los Angeles. Gear is a former state historian and
archaeologist for
Wyoming,
Kansas, and
Nebraska for the
U.S. Department of the Interior. She is perhaps best known for the ''
North America's Forgotten Past'' series, co-authored with her husband
W. Michael Gear. ==Selected bibliography==