Dr. Tom Dillehay

Well, Monteverde is located in northern Patagonia in what would be the cool temperate rainforest of southern Chile, what they call the Lake District. And the ecological zone that's kind of equivalent perhaps to northern Europe in some ways, bogs. and swampy terrain.

Well, Monteverde is located in northern Patagonia in what would be the cool temperate rainforest of southern Chile, what they call the Lake District. And the ecological zone that's kind of equivalent perhaps to northern Europe in some ways, bogs. and swampy terrain.

But Monte Verde came to me, I was teaching at the time at the Southern University of Chile in Valdivia, about 400 kilometers farther north. And one day, a student came to the university with a very large, quote unquote, cow's tooth. It was brought to my attention. And that cow's tooth turned out to be a mastodon gumped with their tooth. And at the time, I didn't have too much interest in it.

But Monte Verde came to me, I was teaching at the time at the Southern University of Chile in Valdivia, about 400 kilometers farther north. And one day, a student came to the university with a very large, quote unquote, cow's tooth. It was brought to my attention. And that cow's tooth turned out to be a mastodon gumped with their tooth. And at the time, I didn't have too much interest in it.

But Monte Verde came to me, I was teaching at the time at the Southern University of Chile in Valdivia, about 400 kilometers farther north. And one day, a student came to the university with a very large, quote unquote, cow's tooth. It was brought to my attention. And that cow's tooth turned out to be a mastodon gumped with their tooth. And at the time, I didn't have too much interest in it.

I said, look, if I ever get down that way, further south, I'll take a look at it. And I did. About a year later, I got down there and we found some large ribs and other teeth eroding out of an embankment of a small creek called Chinchihuapi Creek that the local forest people use for bringing out cut timber in the local forest on ox carts, basically.

I said, look, if I ever get down that way, further south, I'll take a look at it. And I did. About a year later, I got down there and we found some large ribs and other teeth eroding out of an embankment of a small creek called Chinchihuapi Creek that the local forest people use for bringing out cut timber in the local forest on ox carts, basically.

I said, look, if I ever get down that way, further south, I'll take a look at it. And I did. About a year later, I got down there and we found some large ribs and other teeth eroding out of an embankment of a small creek called Chinchihuapi Creek that the local forest people use for bringing out cut timber in the local forest on ox carts, basically.

So I began in 1977 excavating at the site, 77 through about 87 in the last century. And fortunately, the site was overlaid by a peat bog, something that certainly in Europe and in England, you guys know about.

So I began in 1977 excavating at the site, 77 through about 87 in the last century. And fortunately, the site was overlaid by a peat bog, something that certainly in Europe and in England, you guys know about.

So I began in 1977 excavating at the site, 77 through about 87 in the last century. And fortunately, the site was overlaid by a peat bog, something that certainly in Europe and in England, you guys know about.

And it preserved the organic material underneath, where we found pieces of hide, pieces of meat, edible and medicinal plants, worked wood, the bones of different mastodons that had been killed, stone tools, and the remains of what looks like a large tent-like structure that had fallen down. over the years, obviously, and collapsed.

And it preserved the organic material underneath, where we found pieces of hide, pieces of meat, edible and medicinal plants, worked wood, the bones of different mastodons that had been killed, stone tools, and the remains of what looks like a large tent-like structure that had fallen down. over the years, obviously, and collapsed.

And it preserved the organic material underneath, where we found pieces of hide, pieces of meat, edible and medicinal plants, worked wood, the bones of different mastodons that had been killed, stone tools, and the remains of what looks like a large tent-like structure that had fallen down. over the years, obviously, and collapsed.

So it was just full of all kinds of things that you normally don't get in late Ice Age Pleistocene sites anywhere in the world. What you normally get is maybe bones preserved, stone tools, occasionally a fire pit.

So it was just full of all kinds of things that you normally don't get in late Ice Age Pleistocene sites anywhere in the world. What you normally get is maybe bones preserved, stone tools, occasionally a fire pit.

So it was just full of all kinds of things that you normally don't get in late Ice Age Pleistocene sites anywhere in the world. What you normally get is maybe bones preserved, stone tools, occasionally a fire pit.

Exactly. There turned out to be remains of seven different mastodons, or what we call gonfithears today. The kill site was probably located outside of what I'm describing, which was the campsite of the people.

Exactly. There turned out to be remains of seven different mastodons, or what we call gonfithears today. The kill site was probably located outside of what I'm describing, which was the campsite of the people.

Exactly. There turned out to be remains of seven different mastodons, or what we call gonfithears today. The kill site was probably located outside of what I'm describing, which was the campsite of the people.