“Discovery of a Potential Ancient Route into America 24,000 Years Ago by Researchers”
A potential ancient route from Siberia to the New World, existing over 10,000 years before the estimated arrival of America’s First Nations people, may have been facilitated by a frozen highway. Data derived from sediment and fossilized marine life studies.
READ: Navigating Amsterdam’s Waterways: A Canal Cruise Experience
conducted by researchers from the US Geological Survey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Oregon State University, indicates that sea ice played a significant role in easing early migration.
Potential Ancient
During a presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in San Francisco (AGU23), US Geological Survey geologist Summer Praetorius proposed that expansive winter ice surfaces could have been crucial for travel, particularly when navigating by boat was perilous.
For nearly half a century, archaeologists predominantly considered the Clovis people as the original North American pioneers. Around 13,000 years ago, enticed by fertile hunting grounds revealed by retreating ice between Siberia and Alaska, these families embarked on a journey supported by skeletal remains and projectile tips from now-extinct megafauna.
However, recent discoveries have challenged the confidence in the Clovis-first hypothesis, pushing back human arrival in the Americas to over 25,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum. One unresolved question pertains to how ancient travelers undertook this challenging journey, considering the rugged snow and glacier-covered terrain, even though sea levels may have exposed a solid bridge nearly 36,000 years ago.
As glaciers receded, coastal ecosystems could have provided resources and a means of boat travel. A 14,000-year-old settlement on Canada’s western coast supports the idea that pre-Clovis people gradually navigated along the water’s edge.
The ‘kelp highway hypothesis’ suggests that marine technology could have safely transported families through a frigid marine environment, depending on the timing of the journey. A 2020 study proposed that critical warm periods might have closed windows of opportunity due to accelerated melting, redirecting currents unfavorably for migrating paddlers.
Praetorius and her team, analyzing climate models, confirmed that 20,000 years ago, high winds and lower sea levels would have intensified ocean currents, complicating the journey for potential mariners. Records also indicate substantial winter sea ice until around 15,000 years ago, providing a plausible path for migrants to walk or sled upon.
