New U of A Study Reveals the Earliest Evidence of Human Presence in the Americas

Vance Holliday was thrilled to study geology at White Sands, New Mexico. This area, just west of Alamogordo, is remarkable with its endless, pristine dunes made of fine gypsum. These dunes emerged after ancient seas receded, making White Sands a unique geological wonder.

However, much of the park is protected, and a nearby missile range limits research opportunities. In 2012, Holliday, an archaeologist and geologist from the University of Arizona, received an invitation to research in the national park. Curious, he asked to explore a site on the missile range.

Before he knew it, he was there, examining trenches dug by other researchers. Little did he realize that just a short distance away were ancient footprints preserved in clay beneath layers of gypsum. These footprints would challenge long-held beliefs about when people arrived in North America.

In 2019, researchers from Bournemouth University and the U.S. National Park Service excavated these footprints and shared their findings in 2021. Holliday wasn’t part of that excavation, but his earlier data played a crucial role in dating the footprints. They suggest human activity in the region dates back between 23,000 and 21,000 years, predating the Clovis culture by around 10,000 years.

This timeline has sparked debates among anthropologists. Critics have pointed out that the seeds and pollen used to date the footprints might not be reliable, raising questions about the findings.

Now, Holliday leads a new study, published in Science Advances, that reaffirms the 2021 results. This time, the team used ancient mud for radiocarbon dating, which revealed that the mud dates back between 20,700 and 22,400 years. This aligns with the original timeline, strengthening the argument that humans were present earlier than previously thought.

"There’s a consistent record here," Holliday noted, emphasizing the reliability of this data across three different labs. He has studied the history of human migration to the Americas for nearly 50 years, particularly focusing on the Great Plains and Southwest regions.

White Sands was once a series of lakes, which eventually dried up. Erosion shaped the stunning dunes we see today, and the footprints emerged in an ancient streambed, further cementing their significance.

Holliday and Jason Windingstad, a doctoral candidate, returned to White Sands in 2022 and 2023. They dug new trenches for a closer look at the ancient lake beds. Windingstad, who had experience at White Sands, remarked on the astonishing reality of standing near the footprints. They tell a story that contradicts much of what people believed about the peopling of North America.

A lingering question remains: Why have no artifacts or settlements been found alongside the footprints? Holliday acknowledges the concern but doesn’t have a definitive answer. He speculates that the footprints were part of quick movements made by hunter-gatherers who avoided leaving behind resources.

"These people depended on their tools," he explained. The absence of a debris field makes sense in this context.

While he felt confident in the previous findings, Holliday welcomes the additional data that bolsters their claims. With more robust evidence from the field, he feels even more assured about the implications of these ancient footprints.

This study highlights how new insights into our past can reshape our understanding of human history and migration patterns. It reminds us that the narratives of history are continuously being rewritten based on fresh discoveries. For a deeper dive into the archaeological methods used, check out this informative article from the National Park Service.

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