The earliest dates of human arrival in America vary between 12,000-16,000
BP. This assumption has been based on
the presence of an unique American invention, the Clovis Point. These data reveal three or four distinct
migrations of humans to the Americas, and a fifth mysterious migration
indicated from data collected among the Ojibwa Amerindian group in the Great
Lakes region of North America
The first archaeological evidence of prehistoric human arrival in the
Americas was discovered in 1927 at Folsom in New Mexico, where some spears
associated with the remains of a Late Pleistocene bison were found, and in 1933
at Clovis, which is also in New Mexico, where other less sophisticated, spears
were discovered near the remains of a mammoth. In the following years many
other tools were found resembling the Clovis technology. The typical elements
of the Clovis culture were fluted pointy objects, made with rocks such as
jasper created by removing large blades from a central point and refinished so
as to obtain a laminar shape.
Among all the possibilities on how early modern humans entered America,
here are two hypotheses that are the most famous ones, the first one being the
most accepted.
1st Humans entered the new world from Asia, most specifically
through the Beringia, which would be an ice bridge formed between Asia and
America during the ice age. The earth's climate was colder during the Ice Age
than it is today. During the Ice Age snow made up much of the earth's
precipitation. Thick layers of snow slowly accumulated at higher latitudes and
higher elevations. As snow accumulated, the bottom layers were compressed and
transformed into ice and eventually glaciers.
2nd Scenario would be also coming from Asia, but using the
Pacific coastal route, with speculations that they used boats.
The entire hypotheses are ideas based on findings, which always change as
archeologists find more evidence. Some
example of earlier findings of older habitants in America are the 12,000
- 13,000 ya tools found in Monte Verde, Chile and a skull called Luzia
dating 11,000 ya found in Brazil, which leads to the idea that somehow homo
sapiens had arrived to the south America before making it to north America.
Leaving the answer for when exactly the first humans arrived in the new
world unanswered, we must move on to when humans got established to this area,
or an ending date to their arrival. As for an ending date, many archaeologists
see the end of the Paleo-Indian period coinciding with the end of the last Ice
Age in North America. However, some of the life styles, such as organizing
groups for hunting and gathering, continued into the post-Ice Age times in
several parts of North America for several thousand years more. In others
areas, the habits of the Paleo-Indian period were quickly supplanted by very
different cultural systems. So we are able to identifying and ending period
happening in different times and areas but somewhat between 8,000 – 9,000 ya.
So after the Clovis time came the Folsom
(11,000 - 10,200 ya), also characterized by fluted projectile points (though
smaller and more finely made than Clovis points).
It was during the early Holocene that archeologists started to identify profound
difference in the adaptation and overall life style between groups in the western
plains and those in the eastern. Some of the western Plains Archaic complexes
had economic strategies that, at least during some seasons and years, were
comparable the earlier Paleo-Indian hunters. Also during this period research
is providing more evidence for sedentary practices and horticulture. So probably humans found land that was fertile
and decided to explore the resources of a specific area rather than going
around exposing themselves to dangerous predators. Also at this period, there
is evidence of an early stage in the eventual domestication of native species.
Personal Input
The understanding of when and how modern humans arrived to the new world
is just as complex as the search and exploration for new evidences. It is
almost incredible that from tools that were used at that period of time, we
were now able to base how things happened so many years ago.
What caught my attention in this chapter was the study of the Clovis technology.
I found it immensely interesting that the way h. sapiens were using their intelligence
to create tools for specific needs – hunting, cutting, pealing fruits and so
on. That alone was evidence that times were changing and a need for a more
organized society was becoming something they took into consideration.
About the way they arrived in America, I do find it hard to believe the
use of boats at that moment, even knowing that earlier all the evidences lead
to believe they have used boats to go from China to Australia. Overall there
are many questions still not answered and even the hypothesis about them coming
through the Beringia seems a little
doubtful if you think evidence of early human indicate they were living in
South America about the same time we think they arrived to North America.
Additional Information
For my additional information this chapter, I could not forget to mention
something I learned in the book about my own country. They skull Luzia that was
found in Brazil and even growing up there, that is something I never heard of.
Luzia was found in Minas Gerais, Brazil in a location that indicates was a
cemetery because her skull was buried aside of other bones. Her skull dates
11,000 ya and I found online several articles from Brazil with the header
saying “The oldest woman ever found in
Brazil”.
This following website links to an article from Stephen Oppenheimer going
in depth about who Luzia was, her possible ancestors and how possibly she had
arrived there.
This following video I believe would be very useful for classes in the
future, about this subject. It is an overview on how the early humans arrived
in the modern world, explaning all possibilities, explaning ice age and how the
hypotheses have been changing. It’s a documentary from PBS leaning media, so
the source is trustworthy.
This was a fun, interactive view on the possibilities of how humans
arrived in the modern world. Very brief little animation, but I thought it was
fun especially because it has links to important finds of artifacts in America
with images and explanations.
No comments:
Post a Comment