Before Christopher Columbus “discovered” America in 1492, discoveries have recently found proof of inhabitants as early as 12,021 B.C.. However, the most widely accepted theory regarding early immigration to the Americas involves the Bering land bridge, a piece of land that once connected Alaska and Siberia. However, the land bridge theory, or Clovis theory, dates back to only 10, 984 B.C., almost 1,000 years after humans have been known to occupy North America. Two alternate theories are called the “Monte Verde” and “Kennewick Man” theories, allow me to explain. Tom Dillehay, and American anthropologist, was studying the Monte Verde site, Chile, in 1979. He discovered preserved bones and charcoal with which he conducted radiocarbon dating,
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The Benton County coroner, Floyd Johnson, was notified, but was immediately perplexed. James Chatters, an archaeologist who was brought into the case, uncovered a complete skeleton by the end of the day. Puzzling questions arose, but one thing was clear, the skeleton didn’t belong to Native Americans, pioneers, or trappers as proposed. A bone was sent off for carbon dating, and the results dated the Kennewick skeleton all the way back to 7,000 B.C.. Scientists had just found the oldest and most complete skeleton in North America. They also found evidence to determine ancestry of the first Americans, thus concluding that they were from several different areas. This theory is being used to determine to origin of human migration in hopes to either support or disprove the Clovis theory.
Although many questions remain unanswered, there is no doubt that someone was the first to journey to North America. Without solid proof all we may ever know are the theories piecing together various findings. In B.C. years, survival itself was difficult, let alone long journeys across continents. The stakes were high for these immigrants, but their will to live and colonize allowed them to prevail one way or
The Benton County coroner, Floyd Johnson, was notified, but was immediately perplexed. James Chatters, an archaeologist who was brought into the case, uncovered a complete skeleton by the end of the day. Puzzling questions arose, but one thing was clear, the skeleton didn’t belong to Native Americans, pioneers, or trappers as proposed. A bone was sent off for carbon dating, and the results dated the Kennewick skeleton all the way back to 7,000 B.C.. Scientists had just found the oldest and most complete skeleton in North America. They also found evidence to determine ancestry of the first Americans, thus concluding that they were from several different areas. This theory is being used to determine to origin of human migration in hopes to either support or disprove the Clovis theory.
Although many questions remain unanswered, there is no doubt that someone was the first to journey to North America. Without solid proof all we may ever know are the theories piecing together various findings. In B.C. years, survival itself was difficult, let alone long journeys across continents. The stakes were high for these immigrants, but their will to live and colonize allowed them to prevail one way or