Kathleen O'Neal Gear (born 1954) is an American archaeologist, historian, author. Her novels have been published in 29 languages.
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.