12th March, 2024
ANUPA MUKHERJEE
For decades, the first Americans were thought to have arrived 13,000 years ago. But new research hints at a hidden path that might double that timeline – a journey undertaken thousands of years earlier.
● The Idea: The dominant theory was that the first people migrated over a land bridge from Asia about 13,000 years ago as the Ice Age ended. This is known for its signature Clovis hunting tools. ● The Challenge: New archaeological sites suggest humans may have been in the Americas before the Clovis era.
The Theory: Scientists propose a narrow corridor might have opened between the great ice sheets of the last Ice Age, providing a viable route south much earlier than previously thought.
● The Findings: Animal bones discovered in the Yukon show signs of human butchering and date back 24,000 years! ● The Implication: This suggests humans were present in this region far earlier than the land bridge theory allows, supporting the idea of an alternate migration route.
● The Debate: The timing and duration of the corridor's viability is hotly debated. More research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. ● Lingering Questions: Could people have survived the harsh conditions? What other evidence might be found?
If the ice-free corridor theory proves correct, it rewrites the timeline of when the Americas were first settled. It prompts new questions about these early people: who they were, how they survived, and their journey.
While the debate continues, this research opens a thrilling new chapter in understanding the earliest Americans. Perhaps hidden under the ice and sands of time, even more secrets await discovery.