NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — In a new study published in the journal Science , new evidence obtained using advanced dating techniques challenges previous ideas about when and how people first settled in the Americas. Contrary to popular belief that humans reached the interior of North America about 14,000 years ago, this study suggests that humans arrived in the Americas about 23,000 years ago.
For decades, archaeologists believed that humans arrived in North America during the end of the last Ice Age, which coincided with the formation of an ice-free corridor between two massive ice sheets in Canada and the northern United States. It was believed that this corridor, formed by melting ice, allowed people to migrate from Alaska into the heart of North America.
However, this once widespread theory has gradually collapsed over time. Recent discoveries and improvements in dating methods have pushed back the earliest evidence of human presence to about 16,000 years ago. This is still consistent with the idea that humans appeared on Earth as the Ice Age was ending.
In September 2021, a groundbreaking discovery was made in New Mexico. The fossilized footprints were discovered near an ancient lake now known as White Sands and dated to around 23,000 years ago – the time when the last Ice Age reached its peak. This find added a significant 7,000 years to the chronology of human presence on the American continent, rewriting it.
The presence of humans in the Americas at the height of the last ice age raises intriguing questions about their ability to navigate icy terrain. This suggests that either the ice created minimal obstacles to their movement, or that people actually existed on the continent for much longer. This opens up the possibility that humans may have emerged during an earlier period of melting ice, casting doubt on the traditional account of their migration.
Although our initial findings were met with criticism, we have now published additional data confirming the early occupation dates. One of the tools used in our study was fossilized pollen, which can provide valuable clues for dating evidence of human presence.
Often associated with allergies and discomfort, pollen can be a powerful scientific tool for dating purposes. In this study, radiocarbon dating was performed on common ditch grass seeds found in sediment layers above and below the tracks. Radiocarbon dating is based on the decay of carbon-14, a special form of carbon found in organisms that died within the last 50,000 years.
Some researchers have raised concerns about the radiocarbon dates obtained from our 2021 study, suggesting they may be skewed by the “hard water” effect. This effect occurs when groundwater is isolated from the atmosphere for long periods of time, causing some of the carbon-14 it contains to undergo radioactive decay.
In particular, critics argued that the common ditch, being an aquatic plant, could consume old water, resulting in skewed dating results that looked older than they actually were. Although science must proceed through assertions and counterassertions, we acknowledge these concerns and have taken them into account in our further research.
The discovery of human footprints dating back 23,000 years ago challenges our understanding of early human migrations and the peopling of the Americas. As further research is conducted and new evidence emerges, it is essential to remain open to reconsidering our understanding of history. The history of human presence in the Americas is far from over, and these latest finds serve as a reminder that we still have much to learn about our ancient past.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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