Posted on 08/21/2006 5:16:01 PM PDT by blam
Prehistoric tools, weapons discovered in Peruvian Andes
AFP
August 20, 2006
LIMA -- A team of Peruvian and US archaeologists have discovered prehistoric stone tools and weapons some 10,000 years old in an Andean town, the National Institute of Culture announced Friday.
Stone axes, spearheads, and weapons were found in the main square of San Pedro de Chavin de Huantar, an Andean town some 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Lima, officials said.
"This discovery represents exceptional evidence of the presence of inhabitants in the Pleistocene era," the Institute said in a statement.
The Pleistocene went from about 1.6 million years ago to 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age ended.
The items were discovered by a team lead by Peruvian archaeologist Christian Mesia from the Chavin de Huantar Archaeological Investigation Project and John Rick, an American from Stanford University.
Rick and Mesia said that it is one of the few open Stone Age camps ever found in the Andes.
The discovery "will have a special significance for the culture and the civic identity" of the town residents, they said in the statement.
Chavin de Huantar is best known as the site where an underground stone temple from the influential Chavin civilization is located.
The temple was built around 1000 BC and used until around 200 BC. It is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
GGG Ping.
No Nintendo or Ipods were found however.
So the first Peruvians were French?
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Whats amazing about Chavin, is how how it is. I'm talking 10,000 ft/elevation, very harsh conditions(well, in todays terms).
Who knows how it was 10,000 years ago.
Why do you ask?
Was there evidence to suggest the weapons had never been used and were later dropped while running?......:)
LOL! No, I'm not casting aspersions upon the ancient Peruvuans! It's just that a lot of old stone tools were found in prehistoric sites in France and there appears to be come commonality of design with their New World counterparts.
Funny you would mention that.
I have a greenstone full groove "hammer" or "ax" that was found up on the ridge near my house. [Appalachian mountains of western MD]
The tool type is usually ascribed as having been made by the enigmatic "archaic/woodland Indians".
The resemble more than anything else, ancient stone tools commonly found in Europe.
I'm sure you've heard of the "Pangaea" theory.
What if the tools were here *before* the continents drifted apart and have nothing at all to do with "Indians"?
[that's just one of the many strange things I sit and wonder about]....;D
how how it is???
Africa and South America broke apart 120 million years ago. Thre weren't even humans then.
"Thre weren't even humans then."
And how do you know?
Were you there?.....;-D
[I *said* it was one of the ~strange~ things I think about. besides...this could quickly become a Crevo thread, now].....;]
Never mind.
Okey-dokey.....:)
You must be a really good person.
Your dogs obviously adore you.
Yup. I love my doggies. They get the 'top-of-the-line' everything.
Cool!
Funny you should mention THAT!
Here's an article that claims the dates for North American paleo-Indian artifacts are way off because of a cosmic nuclear event that altered the detected age of certain rocks.
If the article is correct, that "Indian" hammer you have may be older than you think. 8-)
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