Clovis in Mexico

[shawomet]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... r-science/

Here is the abstract:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/07/10/1404546111

Significance

Archaeological evidence from Sonora, Mexico, indicates that the earliest widespread and recognizable group of hunter-gatherers (“Clovis”) were in place ∼13,390 y ago in southwestern North America. This is the earliest well-documented population on the continent and suggests that the unique Clovis artifact style originated in the southwest or south central part of the continent, well south of the Arctic gateways into the continent. These hunters targeted gomphotheres, an elephant common in south and central North America, but unknown in association with humans or at this late age in North America.

[uniface]

Thanks.

[kbs2244]

So the southern sites are older.
And this suggests a south to north migration of the Clovis culture?
Do we have any Clovis DNA that could suggest an orgin point?

[E.P. Grondine]

So the southern sites are older.
And this suggests a south to north migration of the Clovis culture?
Do we have any Clovis DNA that could suggest an origin point?

Hi kb, -

AS I have stated here multiple times before, the overstrike tech was carried from North Africa to Brazil, Clovis developed there, then spread north.

No, we have no DNA evidence yet. The population group responsible for this was largely killed off in South America by the Rio Cuarto impacts, and in North America by the Great Atlantic Impact Mega-Tsunami.

A few Ocanachee and Yuchi survived those impact events and the genocide of the conquest, but they are so small in number that they do not show up in mt DNA surveys.

To my knowledge, nobody has tracked the survivors down to perform one.

Used copies of "Man and Impact in the Americas" are still available via amazon.

[hardaker]

"first archaeological Gomphothere" -- Vance H.
ahem. Well, exxxcccccuuuuuuuuussssssseee mmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee.
Seems one came up over fifty years ago, made it into LIFE magazine on its way to be a star at the Smithsonian for awhile, and last photographed in 1978 by Nat. Geog. It was only a drawing of a Gomphothere on a mineralized elephant pelvis, but it was archaeological alrighty.
Here it is in a gallery I posted.
http://valsequillo.earthmeasure.com/Val1/index.html
on the other hand, who needs history?

[kbs2244]

From today’s news page

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/06 ... uth-africa

“A: Large flake off the edge of the core consistent with biface shaping removal; B: Large flake with centripedal dorsal scars.; C: Blade, note that there is some cortex (indicated by C in the sketch) and that scars are not parallel; D-F: Small flakes, note that F is off the edge of the core; G: Discoidal core with removals off both faces. Break on one edge (upper edge in right view); H: Discoidal core with one large flake removal. Note that on the right-hand face the working is unclear and it is possible that this is a natural surface.”

E.P.
Does this serve as evidence of your idea that the Clovis technology is from Africa?
This site is admittedly a long walk from a jumping off place for S A.
But then good ideas travel fast and far.