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site records efforts and recent findings in the quest for traces of the
earliest human colonizers in America and to determine whether one of our
distant ancestors, Homo erectus, also dispersed into America. Estimates of the earliest dates of
human colonization in America area have traditionally varied between
12,000-16,000 BP, the latter occurring at Monte Verde, Chile. These have been based
largely on the presence of a unique American invention, the Clovis
Point. However, recent mitochondrial
DNA data point to much earlier dates being possible, e.g., 40,000 BP. These data reveal three or four distinct
migrations of humans to the Americas, and a fifth mysterious migration
indicated from data collected among the Ojibwa Amerindian group in the Great
Lakes region of North America. This
group, called “X” had obtained genetic variation that is found in certain
areas of northern Europe, which may have been contributed by copper-seeking
Scandinavians at the end of the Bronze Age (see Bronze).
Although archeological evidence and remains of prehuman Homo
erectus are known from Eurasia, Africa and Asia, none has been verified
in The Americas. This may be due in part
because specific searches for such evidence are few in America. Nevertheless, recent findings are
revealing the possible existence of tools and other artifacts left by Homo
erectus. One site in San
Bernardino County, California, The Calico Dig, has come up with suspicious
findings, albeit they are difficult to verify (Dr. D. Simpson, personal
communication). There are ongoing discoveries in
Midwestern and Eastern North America of Homo sapiens occurrence that
are of great interest. For example, a site in Indiana contains obvious points, and
flaked chips, some so-called “microchips” and a couple of axe heads, many
with stylized patterns and consistent markings and carvings that do not
seem to be attributable to natural causes [see Indiana Site]. There are many stones with 1-2 cm. carved shapes of humans,
animals and possibly some primitive writings. Numerous carvings of the American Lion (see Lions), the
American horse and cameloids point to an early Pre-Classic date for this
site. Yet these animals were all
presumed to have become extinct by the end of the Pleistocene around 9,000
B.C.! [see Extinct]. A site along the Savannah River of
southern United States is producing dates that exceed 40,000 BC as well as
other sites in South America (see Savannah). It is now well known that “Stick
Writings,” some called Ogam, appear all over the North American
Continent. The works of Barry Fell
have been well documented (See Report) and the recent translation of the Horse Creek Petroglyph in
West Virginia by Edo Nyland (See Report) attest to the literacy of people traveling in America during
the past several thousand years. Yet
these translations are restricted to stationary sites such as petroglyphs
appearing on rock faces. There has been
no translation of stick writings on smaller stone objects. [Also see
Ogam Script] Bischoff, J. C., M. Ikeya & F. E. Budinger. 1984.
TL/ESR study of the hearth feature of the Calico archeological site,
California. Amer. Antiquity, Wash.,
DC. 49(4): 764-774. D.C. 36, No. 3. |