Unlocking the Mysteries of Monte Verde: A Revised Timeline for America's Earliest Inhabitants
Researchers have discovered that the landmark Monte Verde site in Chile is several thousand years younger than previously thought, but the broader implications remain unchanged.
The archaeological site of Monte Verde in southern Chile has long been considered a landmark in the peopling of the Americas, as it provided evidence that humans had established a presence in the region well before the end of the last Ice Age. However, a recent re-examination of the site's age has revealed that it is several thousand years younger than originally believed.
According to Todd Surovell, an archaeologist at the University of Wyoming, and his team, the Monte Verde site was actually inhabited around 8,000 years ago, not 14,500 years as the original researchers had claimed. While this new finding significantly alters the timeline for the site itself, Surovell and his colleagues argue that it doesn't significantly change the broader understanding of the peopling of the Americas.
Source: Ars Technica
