Dr. Tom Dillehay

Because there we have this pausity of information, you know, in the deeper levels. There are some sites in Brazil and elsewhere in South America that might date 16,000 to 20,000, 22,000 years ago. But they're controversial as well, as is Monte Verde 1. And they still need to be proven. So there's hints out across the continent of people being there earlier, as there are in North America as well.

At Monte Verde, no. We have no evidence that after 14,500 years ago that people were coming back. So let me quickly insert one thing here. What we found at the site was a very thin layer of ash covering the site.

At Monte Verde, no. We have no evidence that after 14,500 years ago that people were coming back. So let me quickly insert one thing here. What we found at the site was a very thin layer of ash covering the site.

At Monte Verde, no. We have no evidence that after 14,500 years ago that people were coming back. So let me quickly insert one thing here. What we found at the site was a very thin layer of ash covering the site.

about half a millimeter thickness to a millimeter in thickness in ash probably eruptions from the volcanoes to the east and i suspect and i haven't published on this because it's too much speculation but i'll say it now that perhaps they abandoned the site as a result of volcanic eruptions as people do today when there are volcanic eruptions and they did not come back to the site

about half a millimeter thickness to a millimeter in thickness in ash probably eruptions from the volcanoes to the east and i suspect and i haven't published on this because it's too much speculation but i'll say it now that perhaps they abandoned the site as a result of volcanic eruptions as people do today when there are volcanic eruptions and they did not come back to the site

about half a millimeter thickness to a millimeter in thickness in ash probably eruptions from the volcanoes to the east and i suspect and i haven't published on this because it's too much speculation but i'll say it now that perhaps they abandoned the site as a result of volcanic eruptions as people do today when there are volcanic eruptions and they did not come back to the site

But there probably are other sites in the area where they were visiting other places, as we talked about before.

But there probably are other sites in the area where they were visiting other places, as we talked about before.

But there probably are other sites in the area where they were visiting other places, as we talked about before.

Well, there is. In fact, I'm going down, I'll be excavating there at Monte Verde one in March, and there likely are more sites. It just takes more time, more resources. And also, one thing I haven't mentioned is that the team working at Monte Verde because of the preservation of so many organic remains is composed of almost 70 specialists.

Well, there is. In fact, I'm going down, I'll be excavating there at Monte Verde one in March, and there likely are more sites. It just takes more time, more resources. And also, one thing I haven't mentioned is that the team working at Monte Verde because of the preservation of so many organic remains is composed of almost 70 specialists.

Well, there is. In fact, I'm going down, I'll be excavating there at Monte Verde one in March, and there likely are more sites. It just takes more time, more resources. And also, one thing I haven't mentioned is that the team working at Monte Verde because of the preservation of so many organic remains is composed of almost 70 specialists.

We've got insect specialists, geneticists, we've got wood specialists, seaweed specialists, so on and so forth. So to do this kind of work, it requires a big team and a lot of resources.

We've got insect specialists, geneticists, we've got wood specialists, seaweed specialists, so on and so forth. So to do this kind of work, it requires a big team and a lot of resources.

We've got insect specialists, geneticists, we've got wood specialists, seaweed specialists, so on and so forth. So to do this kind of work, it requires a big team and a lot of resources.

There's several sites that date around 12, 13,000 years ago, up and down the continent that provide solid evidence, and other sites are rejected or questioned. But one site is on the Pampa, Argentina, grasslands of Argentina, called Arroyo Seco. It dates about 14,000 years ago, excavated by Gustavo Politis, Argentinian archeologist. Couple of sites in Eastern Brazil,

There's several sites that date around 12, 13,000 years ago, up and down the continent that provide solid evidence, and other sites are rejected or questioned. But one site is on the Pampa, Argentina, grasslands of Argentina, called Arroyo Seco. It dates about 14,000 years ago, excavated by Gustavo Politis, Argentinian archeologist. Couple of sites in Eastern Brazil,

There's several sites that date around 12, 13,000 years ago, up and down the continent that provide solid evidence, and other sites are rejected or questioned. But one site is on the Pampa, Argentina, grasslands of Argentina, called Arroyo Seco. It dates about 14,000 years ago, excavated by Gustavo Politis, Argentinian archeologist. Couple of sites in Eastern Brazil,

hovering around maybe 13,000, 13,500 years ago. There's some sites up north in Colombia and Peru, Ecuador, maybe 13,800 years ago. And on the coast of northern Peru, in the desert, Guacapieta, where I excavated with a colleague of mine, Duccio Bonavia, Peruvian-Italian. And that dated around 14,500 years ago, maybe a little older.