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New Archaeological Evidence for an Early Human Presence at Monte Verde, Chile
- duaneb 11y agoWow, HUGE news if corroborated: > MV-I dated ~33,000 BP and initially defined by scattered occurrences of three clay-lined, possible culturally-produced burned areas and twenty-six stones, at least six of which suggest modification by humans. Even at MV-II this provides more evidence against clovis culture being the dominant force defining early America—people went south faster than we had anticipated.
- r0muald 11y agoRegarding the ~33,000 BP materials, the authors "remain inconclusive and skeptical about their cultural status". Still, at ~ 18,500 BP there is a lot to change in the widely held assumptions for the early human population of the Americas. Or, as this tweet implies, some are just outright denying any value to the Monte Verde findings: https://twitter.com/archaeocore/status/667362478674677760 https://twitter.com/archaeocore/status/667362478674677760
- duaneb 11y agoEven the ~15,000 BP - 18,500 BP it's still quite exciting; the evidence they describe is still quite vague, although I'm no archaeologist, so the 33,000 would be out of left field. I'm excited for further developments—corroboration is the ultimate decider, and it seems they've found something. EDIT: The gentleman who posted the tweet you mentioned also wrote this: https://medium.com/@johnhawks/did-humans-approach-the-southern-tip-of-south-america-more-than-18-000-years-ago-a97414475718#.cw6ae5w1m https://medium.com/@johnhawks/did-humans-approach-the-southe.... It gives a broader look, and it still has exciting implications for understanding early American travel. I think even more exciting is the potential for other sites with similar ancient sites.