Clovis Killer Discovery

[kennyc]

Artifacts in Texas Predate Clovis Culture by 2,500 Years, New Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Mar. 24, 2011) — Researchers in Texas have discovered thousands of human artifacts in a layer of earth that lies directly beneath an assemblage of Clovis relics, expanding evidence that other cultures preceded the Clovis culture in North America. This pre-Clovis toolkit appears to be between 13,200 and 15,500 years old and it includes biface and blade technology that may have later been adapted -- and improved upon -- by the Clovis culture.

The Clovis people, whose tools were known for their distinctive "fluted" points, were once thought to be the original settlers of North America about 13,000 years ago. Over the past few years, however, scattered evidence has hinted at several earlier cultures. But, such evidence has often been disputed in part because so few artifacts have actually been recovered.....

Full article here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0324153013.htm

[HarryT]

Thanks, Kenny. That's a new one on me - I hadn't previous come across the "Clovis" people.

[kennyc]

I've seen several tv programs and read a bit about it....there is quite a contraversy in the anthropological world about it all I guess.

As well as Clovis being tied in with the possible extinction of many of the large mammals in the Americas.

[rhadin]

Obviously, Kenny, there is something wrong here. The human world only began 6,000 years ago. It's another fast one that rationalists are trying to pull.

[nohmi2]

Upon reading a few articles on archaeology done around the world, the dates

appear to be going further and further back in time.

I must read up on the Clovis.

Cheers

[Bilbo1967]

Story also picked up by the BBC in the UK, here;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12851772

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Obviously, Kenny, there is something wrong here. The human world only began 6,000 years ago. It's another fast one that rationalists are trying to pull.

Probably an alternate history or parallel universe....

[DixieGal]

You guys in Oz and the Old World have to understand that America has nothing for ancient history except the Clovis people. We do not have an ancient culture of aborigines or Egyptians or Neanderthals. So when this advanced culture's artifacts sprang out of the corn fields, it was important to us. Of course there had to be antecedents, but that family tree had no roots until this discovery.

I've read that some researchers think that artifacts of earlier cultures were inundated and lost when the ice sheets melted and sea levels rose. So finding evidence of an earlier culture than Clovis is a big deal.

[ardeegee]

Not the first claim/evidence of a Pre-Clovis site by a long shot:

http://archaeology.about.com/od/pterms/g/preclovis.htm

(And HarryT, you really need to write a keyboard macro that allow you to say that you've never heard of a very old term/cultural reference from the US with only a few keystrokes, save yourself lots of typing.)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Not the first claim/evidence of a Pre-Clovis site by a long shot:

http://archaeology.about.com/od/pterms/g/preclovis.htm

(And HarryT, you really need to write a keyboard macro that allow you to say that you've never heard of a very old term/cultural reference from the US with only a few keystrokes, save yourself lots of typing.)

I learn a lot from reading this forum! Genuinely never had heard of the Clovis people until today. Always good to learn something new.

[HarryT]

You're right though - good tip about using a macro .

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I learn a lot from reading this forum! Genuinely never had heard of the Clovis people until today. Always good to learn something new.

I'm just surprised that you haven't heard of them. Even if you aren't into archeology, current controversial theories tie directly into astronomy (well, if you conciser meteoritics and terrestrial impact studies to count as "astronomy.")

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=...8f5021afbf0802

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I'm just surprised that you haven't heard of them. Even if you aren't into archeology, current controversial theories tie directly into astronomy (well, if you conciser meteoritics and terrestrial impact studies to count as "astronomy.")

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=...8f5021afbf0802

I know a fair amount about European archaeology, but I've never read anything about the archaeology of the American continents. I shall have to remedy that lack.

[cromag]

The "clovis point" and atlatl (a lever arm used to throw spears) formed the basis for a very sophiticated and effective weapon system.

I believe there was some additional controversy a few years ago when points resembling clovis were found in Europe (France, I believe).

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I know a fair amount about European archaeology, but I've never read anything about the archaeology of the American continents. I shall have to remedy that lack.

Our archeology and South America's is very sparse as far as human cultures. But some of the little we have is old, twice as old as the pyramids, such as the Clovis stuff.

Where I live, it was part of the Mississipean culture. And there are moundbuilder mounds near Tuscaloosa.

But we are rich in dino and older fossils.