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Links re caving, bats, and archeology:
Who were the first Humans in the
Americas?
When and how did they come here?
In the last few years, new discoveries have led some archaeologists to revise the prevailing theory, but not all agree.
[You can jump
right down to the links if you don't want to read this background:]
The standard "Clovis-first" theory was that people from Asia
crossed a temporary land bridge across the Bering Straits about 11,500
years ago (exact date estimates vary), and gradually spread throughout the
Americas. (The name "Clovis culture" for these people comes from
the town of Clovis, NM, near which the earliest identified and studied
stone spear points were found.)
The new theory which challenges this "Clovis-first" theory is based partly on the discovery of human campsites up to 15,000 years old--some even guess 22,000 years old--in such diverse places as Monte Verde (a bog in Chile), Cactus Hill (a gravel pit in Virginia), the Topper Site (a hill in South Carolina), and Meadowcroft (a cave in Pennsylvania). It is also fed by analysis of very ancient human skeletons from several locations in the Americas--while the "Clovis-first" theory would make all the very early Americans Asians of Mongoloid stock, some of the skeletons are of other types: possibly even European, Australian, Polynesian, etc. Some archeologist have suggested arrival in animal skin kayaks or other small primitive boats, possibly several different groups at different times, and including movement down the coastlines the Americas, resulting in rapid widespread dispersal throughout the Americas (in stark contrast to the gradual overland spread from north to south invoked in the "Clovis-first" theory).
HERE ARE LINKS TO WEBSITES ABOUT THIS NEW AND STILL HOTLY DEBATED THEORY:
-
New Answers to an Old Question: Who Got Here First?
(Overview 11/9/99) -
Clovis - Pre Clovis Debate (a good list of annotated links)
-
Point of Reference - Previous - Prehistoric Migrations to the Americas
(another list of annotated links) -
Pre-Clovis Surprise
(The Topper Site) -
South Carolina site sheds light on prehistoric human arrival (news 5/26/01)
-
Paleoindian & Other Archaeological Stuff -- From Tony Baker: includes pictures of stages in flaking of Clovis type spear points, with new stuff about flaking, etc.
-
Allendale Paleoindian Expeditions (Topper Site)
Allendale Paleoindian Expeditions 2
Other links about archeology, speleology, etc:
- Texas Beyond History--Created by Texas Archeological Research Laboratory and Texas Archeological Society-
- Texas Speleological Survey
- Bat Conservation International
- Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) of The University of Texas at Austin