The First Americans by James M. Adovasio with Jake Page (review)

Athena Review ^ | Vol.3,no.4. | George Wisner

[SunkenCiv]

From Meadowcroft, Adovasio discusses South American pre-Clovis research, exploring the differences in flora, fauna and Ice Age glacial impact that would have produced a much different settlement scenario than in North America. Here the cast of characters include Alan Bryan and Ruth Gruhn from the University of Calgary in Canada, who remain staunch pre-Clovis advocates despite a long string of failed pre-Clovis sites they dug or investigated from Baja Mexico to the tip of South America. And his description of contested sites there includes Taima Taima in Venezuela and Pedra Furada rockshelter in Brazil where unique stone tools were found. The South American trail eventually leads to Monte Verde, a complex 14,500 year old site in south-central Chile that has all but buried the Clovis First paradigm.

[SunkenCiv]

---

---

[SunkenCiv]

---

The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery by James M. Adovasio with Jake Page

---

[SunkenCiv]

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

a future winner of the Nobel Prize:

Retracing the footprints of time
by Steve Sandford
September 9, 1996
web archive version

Direct radiocarbon dating of the Calgary site is not possible because the ancient artifacts were not found in conjunction with organic matter, such as bones or decayed plant matter, which is necessary for such testing. Absent such verification, Prof. Young dismisses the find. For one thing, he says, the artifacts are so simple they could merely be naturally-occurring rocks; he says that most informed scientists are doubtful they are tools. And even if they are tools, he adds that there is no way to be sure that they were originally situated where they were found under the gravel, since the site has served as an exposed gravel pit for the last 100 years. Comments Prof. Young: "Any dude could have put that rock there."