Vintage Skulls

Archaeology Magazine ^ | March/April 2003 | Colleen P. Popson

[blam]

VINTAGE SKULLS

Researcher Silvia Gonzalez examines a 13,000-year-old skull. (Liverpool John Moores University)

The oldest human remains found in the Americas were recently "discovered" in the storeroom of Mexico's National Museum of Anthropology. Found in central Mexico in 1959, the five skulls were radiocarbon dated by a team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Mexico and found to be 13,000 years old. They pre-date the Clovis culture by a couple thousand years, adding to the growing evidence against the Clovis-first model for the first peopling of the Americas.

Of additional significance is the shape of the skulls, which are described as long and narrow, very unlike those of modern Native Americans.

Joseph Powell, a physical anthropologist at the University of New Mexico, cautions that other explanations for the skull shape differences must be considered before jumping to conclusions about origins. "Natural selection or some other microevolutionary forces may play a role. People change when their diets change. This happened in China, for example. Ancient Chinese don't really look much like modern Chinese from the same area. It's a worldwide phenomena and it may be related to the changes at the end of the Ice Age."

Paleoindian specialist Kenneth Tankersley believes archaeology is only beginning to scratch the surface of the debate. "Variation in the languages and DNA of American Indians not only suggests there were multiple migrations from a number of different homelands, but they imply that the first wave of people arrived in the Americas more than 30,000 years ago. This suggests archaeologists should be looking in older geological strata."

DNA evidence might be the best way to know where the first Americans came from and how or why they changed over time. The researchers have planned DNA tests, though successful extraction from remains this old is challenging.--COLLEEN P. POPSON

[CobaltBlue]

Bishop Usher said that the universe was created on October 23, 4004 BC, at 9:00 o'clock in the morning (London time).

I have no idea whether he was joking.

[CobaltBlue]

I just learned that to be ultra PC, the term isn't Native American, it's First Nation.

[blam]

"I have no idea whether he was joking."

He was very serious.

Bishop Ussher (1581-1656)

[blam]

BTW, he dates Noah's Flood at 2354BC.

[Bohemund]

bump

[Marie]

Bumpity bump bump! Thanks for the hollar.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Mormon?

Are you asking whether I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?

[Americas]

Too bad for your little fantasy, there was NO "White" first wave. Craniometric studies on PaleoIndian remains have ONLY shown affinities to Asian, Pacific, & Native American populations. DNA studies on PaleoIndians matches them to modern Native Americans. DNA (& linguistic) studies on modern Native Americans say they've been here 20-40,000 yrs. Try reading scientific journal articles on the subject (special attention to Powell & Neves' "Cranifacial Morphology of the First Americans" which proved that prior & highly disputed claims of "Caucasoid" PaleoIndians were due entirely to suspiciously consistant OBSERVER ERROR on the part of a small handfull of White scientists, or the Powell & Neves study on Kennewick Man which conclusively found he was NOT Caucasoid, let alone Caucasian). BTW, if you're thinking of Ainu.... think again, they SOLIDLY match Asians in DNA & linguistic studies. SOME craniometric studies purport minor Caucasian affinities, but ALSO match them just as close to Melanesians & Polyesians & Australian Aborigines.

[blam]

Please put in the GGG files, thanks.

[farmfriend]

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

[blam]

Do Skulls Prove The First Americans Came From Europe?

[blam]

European DNA Found In 7-8,000 Year Old Skeleton In Florida (Windover)

[happygrl]

Since 200,000 year old sites have been found in the Arctic region of Siberia, why couldn't these same Paleolithic people have used their survival skills to make it over Beringia ?

I think that is a possibility.

Native Americas believe they are the original people.

Perhaps they are right, and the Red Haired Mummies were making their way west from their homeland in the New World (after having moved there as ancient human stock over 100,000 years ago). Perhaps the Joman/Ainu came from the New World, then went on to populate Australia and the Pacific Islands.

[LPM1888]

BTTT

[happygrl]

Haven't heard back from poster Americas, who insisted that all ancient American skulls show Asian affinities, not Caucasian.

I guess that shut him/her up.

[blam]

"Native Americas believe they are the original people. "

There have not been any skeletons of American Indians/Native Americans older than 6,000 years old ever found in the Americas. Skeletons older than 6,000 years are other people more akin to the Kennewick Man variety.

There is one skeleton found named, 'Stick Man,' that does not 'fit' anywhere with known living humans, from James Chatters in his book about Kennewick Man, Ancient Encounters.

[Oberon]

You mean Bishop Usser who dated the world at 4004 years old?

Learned men like Bishop Ussher were called Doctors when physicians were referred to as "leeches."

[blam]

"Haven't heard back from poster Americas, who insisted that all ancient American skulls show Asian affinities, not Caucasian."

Americas signed on to FR that day, made that one post and hasn't been heard from since.

The evidence is becoming overwhelming for the early entry into the Americas of people other than the American Indians.

[Consort]

Yale alumni?

[blam]

"Learned men like Bishop Ussher were called Doctors when physicians were referred to as "leeches.""

I think it was Ussher's calculations that place the world being only 6,000 years old.