twa Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Texas scientists have found the oldest confirmed site of human habitation in the Americas just north of Austin, where the Edwards Plateau meets the coastal plains. The unprecedented haul of artifacts from as far back as 15,500 years ago brings archaeologists much closer to answering the mysteries of who the first Americans were, where they came from and how they got here. The new work, published Thursday in the journal Science, may definitively prove humans lived in the Americas prior to the "Clovis" people, who spread widely across the western hemisphere beginning about 13,000 years ago. These people, identifiable by their characteristic fluted spear points, were long thought to be the first Americans. The discovery of such an old settlement also suggests the first Americans must have come from Asia, not through an ice-free corridor over land, but along the Alaskan and Canadian coasts in boats as long as 16,000 years ago. "I think we're getting closer and closer to understanding how and when the first people came into the Americas," said Michael Waters, a Texas A&M University archaeologist who led the study. Waters and his colleagues found the trove of some 15,000 stone artifacts about 50 miles north-northwest of Austin at the Debra L. Friedkin site along Buttermilk Creek. Fed by permanent springs, this area between the Edwards Plateau and lower coastal plains would have offered ample game from both ecosystems, and its limestone held an abundant supply of flint-like rock, or chert, ideal for making Stone Age tools. Since the 1930s, archaeologists have believed the ancestors of the Clovis people — so named for a small number of stone "points" found near Clovis, N.M. - walked into North America from Asia across the Bering Sea landmass as the last Ice Age waned about 13,500 years ago. ... Questions about dating Haynes said he still has questions about the accuracy of the dating of sediments - without carbon-based material it's difficult to get precise estimates of dates - and he has concerns that artifacts from later eras could have slipped down into older sediments. But Lee Nordt, a co-author of the Science paper and a geologist at Baylor University, dismissed that concern. He said there's no evidence of such post-burial redistribution in the sediments. "They demonstrated to us unequivocally that the peopling of the Americas occurred prior to Clovis times and more than 13,000 years ago," Nordt said. If Waters' conclusions are correct, the first Americans were evidently handy with boats. Prior to about 13,500 years ago, sheets of ice two miles thick covered nearly all of Canada, making a land route impassable. The most plausible solution is that the first Americans traveled a coastal route, using boats to come down the Alaskan and Canadian coasts, parts of which probably would have been free of ice. There is little archaeological evidence of this trek, however, as such sites would now be underwater as seas have been rising for thousands of years. Nevertheless this theory is supported by modern genetics, which suggest several handfuls of brave adventurers ventured from northeast Asia around 16,000 years ago. Their genes can be found in many of today's Native Americans. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7489500.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 There was a recent History channel special on all the theories of who may have settled the "Americas" first. Interesting ones were Polynesians who crossed the pacific to the coast of Chile. Linguistic and boat building similarities were some of the evidence given. Another group that predated columbus by millenia were japanese because of DNA found in mummies in the Americas that have only been found in Japan as well as pottery with distinct designs and construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney B Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 So people who lived in Texas 15,000 years ago eventually spread out and populated the rest of the hemisphere? Makes sense that they would want to go live someplace else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Texas scientists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 What happened to the Beri ng Strait? I would imagine that would predate any sailing expeditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 What happened to the Beri ng Strait? I would imagine that would predate any sailing expeditions. Somebody didn't read the link...:beatdeadhorse:. Prior to about 13,500 years ago, sheets of ice two miles thick covered nearly all of Canada, making a land route impassable. The Texas bit is just a hook,but it is a rather large find to go with the others around the country KB...:we got the best scientists money can buy :gap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Ya want me to actually read a link? Gads! (Gads might be another good word for HH's thread) Besides, two miles of ice... bah, Eric Hayden or Apollo Ono could have handled that in minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 What the HIstory Channel documentary said was that some groups did not cross the Ice/land bridge on foot. They hugged the coast in boats following seals and other sea mammals for food and fat (heating oil). They made it all the way down to the Baja Peninsula and beyond. ---------- Post added March-25th-2011 at 08:08 AM ---------- Ya want me to actually read a link? Gads! (Gads might be another good word for HH's thread)Besides, two miles of ice... bah, Eric Hayden or Apollo Ono could have handled that in minutes. Brian Boitano would have been squealing in glee at the thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Actually according to what the article says, it really means that the first Americans were Mexicans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Somebody didn't read the link...:beatdeadhorse:.Prior to about 13,500 years ago, sheets of ice two miles thick covered nearly all of Canada, making a land route impassable. My question is this. Who built the SUV's in 11,500 BC that melted all that ****? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 My question is this. Who built the SUV's in 11,500 BC that melted all that ****? Not SUVs, flatulent Texans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Not SUVs, flatulent Texans. Steers and .......erm.....nevermind....:paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 My question is this. Who built the SUV's in 11,500 BC that melted all that ****? Whoever they were, they probably were primitive enough to believe that flat-earth warming was a hoax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 Actually according to what the article says, it really means that the first Americans were Mexicans. Well since the first Texans were Mexicans.... I'd imagine they crossed over further south,but maybe they hiked in from Cali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 "The first Americans may have been Texans" no wonder this country is so effed up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistertim Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Actually according to what the article says, it really means that the first Americans were Mexicans. I hope they didn't cross illegally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQCOWBOY Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 So people who lived in Texas 15,000 years ago eventually spread out and populated the rest of the hemisphere?Makes sense that they would want to go live someplace else. Would also mean that you are a Texan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolUsernameHere Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Why do I feel like people from Texas are going to turn this news into something they should brag about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Would also mean that you are a Texan. I believe the term is "recovering texan". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec138 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I believe the term is "recovering texan". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 Why do I feel like people from Texas are going to turn this news into something they should brag about? No Brag,just fact....Safe bet :pfft: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I hope they didn't cross illegally. I bet they stayed because they had anchor babies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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