Calico: A 200,000-year Old Site In The Americas?

ASA On Line ^ | unknown

[blam]

Calico: A 200,000-year old site in the Americas?

New World archaeological sites inferred to be even slightly older than the 11.5 ka Clovis complexes have been controversial; so claims for a 200 ka site in North America have heretofore been treated with substantial disdain. But the acceptance of Monte Verde and Diring may soon change that.

The classic "ancient site" in the New World is "Calico," located in the Central Mojave Desert of California (Shlemon and Budinger, 1990). Two issues have dogged acceptance of Calico by mainstream archaeologists: (1) the authenticity of the artifacts; are they truly the product of human manufacture, or merely naturally produced "geofacts?" and (2) the obvious pre-Clovis age of the deposits (see, for example, lengthy discussions in Leakey and others, 1968; Haynes, 1973; Bryan, 1978; Taylor and Payen, 1975; Carter, 1980; Meighen, 1983; Patterson, 1983; and Budinger and Simpson, 1985).

Thought to be about 200 ka old, the deeply buried chert and chalcedony tools of Calico are usually dismissed as being artifacts. However, if shown to respected Old World archaeologists, many Calico assemblages are readily described as typical Paleolithic implements. Regardless, when told that the ancient tools come from the New World, these same archaeologists then often reject their original interpretation! So much for unbiased reasoning in science! Nevertheless, although it will take time, the pre-Clovis Monte Verde site in Chile and the 260 ka Diring site in Siberia may well provide a "stepping stone" for mainstream archaeological acceptance of the Calico site.

[kAcknor]

Better late than not at all. ;)
Add me also please. Everytime I see some piece of "Common Knowledge" debunked this subject become just a bit more interesting.

[Little Ray]

Please add me to ping list, too! This is cool stuff!

[blam]

"Please add me to ping list, too! This is cool stuff!"

Okay, Freeper 'farmfriend' keeps the 'ping' list but I'll ask him to put you on it.

[farmfriend]

Little Ray, consider yourself added to the ping list.

[okie01]

"Yup. I've read that (the) Ukraine has a topsoil depth of 150 feet. It blew in there over the eons from other places."

Such wind-deposited soils are called loess. There are sites in my home county in Oklahoma where the topsoil is 30-40' deep.

[blam]

"There are sites in my home county in Oklahoma where the topsoil is 30-40' deep."

That's good, huh? Good farming soil.

[okie01]

"That's good, huh? Good farming soil."

Oh, yeahhhh.

[genefromjersey]

NOW you've got my attention !

I might add, all the mainstream "out-of-Africa-Cause it's Politically Correct" folks are probably having coronaries.

[blam]

"NOW you've got my attention ! "

LOL. I posted this almost three years ago. Glad you enjoyed it.

[hedgetrimmer]

My relatives used to take us to Calico when we were bored with the other entertainments of Barstow and Hinckley.

My mother used to make us walk very quietly on the board sidewalk past a house with lace curtains. She told us the school marm from when Calico was still a mining town lived there. She was very old, and my mother didn't want a bunch of noisy kids ruining her repose. I always tried to surreptitiously peer through the window as we walked by, but I never saw her.

[blam]

I don't think this one made it into the GGG files. Thanks

[bruinbirdman]

Calico, the ghost town, was moved to Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA in the 1950's. Remnants of the old site can still be seen off I-15 north of Barstow and the marine depot at Yermo.

yitbos

[TruthWillWin]

Entertainments of Barstow and Hinkley?? I grew up in Barstow and probably knew some of your relatives. My first paying job when I was still in high school was at Calico where I was a guide for the haunted house. At that time (1963) Calico had been taken over by Knotts Berry Farm. I can remember Calico before the Knotts takeover.

[TruthWillWin]

bruinbirdman, Knott's Berry Farm took over Calico in the late 50's and rebuilt it where it was as a tourist attraction. Although Knott's Berry's did build a ghost town in Buena Park in their amusment park the original Calico Ghost town, although extensively rebuilt, still exists just outside of Yermo.

[hedgetrimmer]

Oh yes, in Barstow a great thing to do was to walk down to the railroad tracks and flatten pennies. Then there was a little cafe downtown that made great chocolate malteds. If you didn't want to do that you could hang out at the drive-in burger placeand check out the various hot rods and drag racers coming in, or go swimming at the public pool. If it was really really hot you might go to the afternoon matinee at the movie theater, just to cool down.

[TruthWillWin]

Hedgetrimmer,

Cafe Downtown = White Spot

Burger Place = Burger Haven

Public Swiming Pool = High School Pool till late 60's, then at Fogelson Park.

[SunkenCiv]

Not a ping, just a GGG update.

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

[blam]

April bump.

[RJS1950]

I spent a lot of time in the early 70s all around the Calico area. While we were stationed at MCSC Barstow my now wife and I used to go out there to various caves and areas to get away from the barracks and party. There was certainly little else in Barstow to do other than go to the Goldstone bar. After reading this I wish I had spent more time digging around up there and less swilling cheap wine and beer, might have made a great discovery.

[SunkenCiv]

Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.

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)