Archaeologica.org

Topper is one of the few stratified Clovis period sites anywhere, buried about two feet below the current surface, and of unknown size and shape. At this site, Clovis people quarried a fairly high quality stone material, and made stone tools to take away elsewhere about 12,000 years ago. Note: Faithful reader Derek A points out that radiocarbon dates are rare in the southeast, and c14 dates for Clovis are primarily from western sites.

That's exciting in and of itself—there are very few intact Clovis sites at all, let alone one so large and dense. The controversial part is that excavator Al Goodyear believes that there is a preclovis site beneath the Clovis, dated to between 15,000 and 50,000 years ago.

Preclovis sites are gaining some ground in archaeological circles these days—but not preclovis sites dated to 50,000 years ago. Accepting a date that old would take a great deal more than one site with some pretty iffy artifacts, because if true, it would overthrow much of what archaeologists have learned about the way the world was populated.

Minimalist wrote:A good effort even if they did wimp out at the end about pre-clovis. Prof. West shows up on the 3d day looking for comet debris. I should be able to get it out to whoever wants it by tomorrow.

A very interesting chart of Clovis finds in North America showing an overwhelming concentration east of the Mississippi.