Archaeologists: Humans in the Americas Earlier Than Thought

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Facts

  • Archaeologists found three giant sloth bones at the Santa Elina rock shelter in central Brazil, which they say were likely perforated and polished by human hands between 25K and 27K years ago to be used as pendants. These would be the oldest known personal ornaments unearthed in the Americas.1
  • Some scientists applauded the discovery's importance in the debate over when humans first reached the continent, while others are skeptical of the research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The current consensus is that people reached the Americas around 13.5K years ago.2
  • The sloth bones, called osteoderms – bony deposits that form a kind of protective armor over the skin of animals such as armadillos – were found near stone tools and had tiny holes that only humans could have made. The polishing and perforation were found by way of microscopic and macroscopic visualization techniques.3
  • Researchers from Brazil, the US, and France were the first to extensively analyze the bones – which were originally found 30 years ago – and ruled out the possibility that humans had found them thousands of years after the animals died. Rather, they say the tool work was likely conducted within days or several years.4
  • While at least 13.5K years is the primary consensus, other studies have suggested people reached the continent during or even earlier than the last glacial maximum. That would put human arrival at between 19K and 26K years ago, though some are skeptical of any time frame before 16K years.2

Sources: 1CNN, 2Newsweek, 3Livescience, and 4NBC.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Daily Caller. This puts the icing on the cake for modern researchers who believe the current consensus is outdated. Not only does this study shatter previous estimates for human migration, but it shows humans on the continent back then were more advanced than believed. For the public narrative to finally shift on this issue, we may need the newer generation of archaeologists to take over.
  • Narrative B, as provided by LiveScience. While many scientists agree that the old Bering Strait land bridge theory – which gives us the 13K-15K year mark – is outdated, there is still no solid evidence humans arrived as far back as 27K years ago. This debate is a long way from being settled, and more research must be conducted.