The Origin of the Clovis
About 13,000 years ago, a culture of peoples known to the archaeological world as the Clovis made a trek across the land bridge connecting modern day Alaska and their native continent of Asia. This is the accepted theory concerning habitation of the Americas, and more importantly the accepted timetable. As archeologists continue to research and dig deeper, they are finding more questions, as opposed to more answers. When did the Clovis migrate to the Americas? How did they get here? Where did they really come from? These questions have led leading researchers to conclude on one of the following theories.
The first and foremost theory is also the oldest: the "Clovis First" theory. In 1933 in Clovis, New Mexico, a stone tool is unearthed. This tool was decided to be a spearhead, as it was found in the skeletal remains of a mammoth, which was dated at 13,500 years old. This historic artifact was come to be known as the Clovis Point, and is the oldest human artifact in the United States. Leading archaeologists believe that the last ice age, 17,000 to 24,000 year ago, resulted in a decline in the sea level. This decline exposed the continental shelf and the land bridge between Alaska and Asia. The Clovis people had migrated, most likely following the pack herd across this land bridge into Alaska. When the glaciers receded, passage was then permissible into the heart of the Americas.
Another theory, which has been considered, is that the Clovis peoples entered the Americas much earlier using a route along the West coast of Alaska, which remained unblocked by the glaciers. Excavations at a site in Medowcroft, Pennsylvania found fire pits that have been carbon dated to 16,000 BC. This evidence is bolstered by DNA research. Using DNA from the mitochondria, as...
More Anthropology
essays:
Decribing Forensic Anthropology in the book "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" by William Maples. Forensic anthropology is the examination of skeletal remains.
... from Asia and in his late twenties and of short stature'"(109). Amazingly, from just his own knowledge he found the most important details needed in identifying skeletal remains. William ... part of my job is to examine human skeletal remains after ...
Skulls Provide Evidence of Common African Ancestors
... years of cleaning, reassembling and analyzing. They collected over 600 stone tools, but ... the point of origin or attain supporting fossil evidence. The alternative multiregional hypothesis proposed that modern humans evolved in different parts of Africa, Asia and ...
All of New Mexico's Troubles Began in Taos: An Anthropological Look and Evaluation of the Taos Pueblo Indians and their history
... evidence of human settlement in the area dating back 3,000 years and some estimate that New Mexico was peopled by various Native Americans ...
Evolution of Homo Erectus. Details physical and social evolution from Aegygptopithecus to the appearance of Homo Erectus. Improve: Mixed up "hominoid" and "hominid" a bit.
... still remain unanswered. Our knowledge is limited to clues that stand the test of time - bones and stone tools can ... a world of change. The fossil, climatic, and archaeological evidence ...
The image of the lion in western society: king of the jungle or endangered species?
... the continent" . But it is almost a Catch-22 situation - trying to balance the survival of humans and the survival of lions. Human overpopulation has led to the degradation of land, agricultural land taking ... much of Asia, but today live in just areas of Africa ...
The Explanation of the disappearance of the first civilizations.
... which would have blocked the sun and caused horrific rains of fire on earth for years. This single impact did not take down civilization on three continents; instead it was a multiple impact. Bill Napier, an astronomer ...
A History of Human Ancestors. What theories make up what we know about our earliest ancestors? What are the characteristics of our different homo ancestors?
... mortar, stone, and wood. A site in Sudan dating back 14,000 years gives evidence of organized warfare, thus imperialism. Men's remains were found with spearheads and ...
" Sunset on the Savanna" by James Shreeve, Discover, July 1996, pp.116-125.
... home continent of our ancestors. Because the locations of these early fossils were arid grasslands, it seemed to support the savanna theory. When combined with the 'feel good' effect that this theory has, it remained popular ...