Dr. Tom Dillehay

Well, what I'm talking about with the preserved organic materials at the site, which kind of shocked the archaeological discipline in the Americas and beyond, dated 14,500 years ago. And that was 1,500 years ahead of the most accepted paradigm or theory of the peopling of the Americas, the Clovis theory, but I'm talking about Monte Verde II.

Well, what I'm talking about with the preserved organic materials at the site, which kind of shocked the archaeological discipline in the Americas and beyond, dated 14,500 years ago. And that was 1,500 years ahead of the most accepted paradigm or theory of the peopling of the Americas, the Clovis theory, but I'm talking about Monte Verde II.

Well, what I'm talking about with the preserved organic materials at the site, which kind of shocked the archaeological discipline in the Americas and beyond, dated 14,500 years ago. And that was 1,500 years ahead of the most accepted paradigm or theory of the peopling of the Americas, the Clovis theory, but I'm talking about Monte Verde II.

There's a Monte Verde I located nearby that has very small fire pits, a few convincing stone tools, a few bone remains, but it's not over covered by peatlands that preserved the site. And that dates at 16 and 18 and 24 and 33,000 years ago. So it's just scattered little ephemeral pieces of evidence in another part of the site at different depths. And that one, I admit, is unproven.

There's a Monte Verde I located nearby that has very small fire pits, a few convincing stone tools, a few bone remains, but it's not over covered by peatlands that preserved the site. And that dates at 16 and 18 and 24 and 33,000 years ago. So it's just scattered little ephemeral pieces of evidence in another part of the site at different depths. And that one, I admit, is unproven.

There's a Monte Verde I located nearby that has very small fire pits, a few convincing stone tools, a few bone remains, but it's not over covered by peatlands that preserved the site. And that dates at 16 and 18 and 24 and 33,000 years ago. So it's just scattered little ephemeral pieces of evidence in another part of the site at different depths. And that one, I admit, is unproven.

We need to do more archeological and geological work on what I just described as Monteverde I. But Monteverde II, overlaid by that peat layer, is solid evidence.

We need to do more archeological and geological work on what I just described as Monteverde I. But Monteverde II, overlaid by that peat layer, is solid evidence.

We need to do more archeological and geological work on what I just described as Monteverde I. But Monteverde II, overlaid by that peat layer, is solid evidence.

Yeah, if you look at the whole peopling of the Americas, it kind of follows the same pattern in Europe. Back in the late 1800s, a question came up, were humans ever associated with extinct, what we call megafauna? Here in the Americas, it would have been the American horse, giant bison, ground sloth, woolly mammoth, so forth. So the first solid evidence came out in the 30s at the Clovis site.

Yeah, if you look at the whole peopling of the Americas, it kind of follows the same pattern in Europe. Back in the late 1800s, a question came up, were humans ever associated with extinct, what we call megafauna? Here in the Americas, it would have been the American horse, giant bison, ground sloth, woolly mammoth, so forth. So the first solid evidence came out in the 30s at the Clovis site.

Yeah, if you look at the whole peopling of the Americas, it kind of follows the same pattern in Europe. Back in the late 1800s, a question came up, were humans ever associated with extinct, what we call megafauna? Here in the Americas, it would have been the American horse, giant bison, ground sloth, woolly mammoth, so forth. So the first solid evidence came out in the 30s at the Clovis site.

Here in New Mexico, I'm three hours away from that site, where they found several woolly mammoths killed associated with these magnificent lancelet points with a flute in the base of it. And that was the first evidence. And that was Clovis' first theory that the first Americans are

Here in New Mexico, I'm three hours away from that site, where they found several woolly mammoths killed associated with these magnificent lancelet points with a flute in the base of it. And that was the first evidence. And that was Clovis' first theory that the first Americans are

Here in New Mexico, I'm three hours away from that site, where they found several woolly mammoths killed associated with these magnificent lancelet points with a flute in the base of it. And that was the first evidence. And that was Clovis' first theory that the first Americans are

these big game hunters who came over from Siberia or Northeast Asia and rapidly moved throughout the Americas down into South America. And in the early 1940s, the late Junius Byrd of the American Museum of Natural History in New York was working in southern Patagonia near Tierra del Fuego. And he excavated a cave called Fell's Cave.

these big game hunters who came over from Siberia or Northeast Asia and rapidly moved throughout the Americas down into South America. And in the early 1940s, the late Junius Byrd of the American Museum of Natural History in New York was working in southern Patagonia near Tierra del Fuego. And he excavated a cave called Fell's Cave.

these big game hunters who came over from Siberia or Northeast Asia and rapidly moved throughout the Americas down into South America. And in the early 1940s, the late Junius Byrd of the American Museum of Natural History in New York was working in southern Patagonia near Tierra del Fuego. And he excavated a cave called Fell's Cave.

That cave yielded what's called fishtail points, projectile points. And in the base of it, allegedly kind of a flute-like removal of a flake, something similar to Clovis. And at that time in South America, the evidence was incredibly clear. scarce. So the connection was made between the peopling of the north, peopling of the south.

That cave yielded what's called fishtail points, projectile points. And in the base of it, allegedly kind of a flute-like removal of a flake, something similar to Clovis. And at that time in South America, the evidence was incredibly clear. scarce. So the connection was made between the peopling of the north, peopling of the south.