34:. Chiquihuite Cave may be evidence of early human presence in the Western Hemisphere up to 33,000 years ago. It is located 2,740 meters (9000 feet) above sea level and about 1 kilometer higher than the valley below. Stones discovered here, thought to be lithic artifacts, have been dated to 26,000 years ago based on more than 50 samples of animal bone and charcoal found in association with these stones. However, there is scholarly debate over whether the stones are truly artifacts, human-made tools that are evidence of human presence, or if they were formed naturally. No evidence of human DNA or
929:
E.; Barba-PingarĂłn, Luis; Ortiz-ButrĂłn, AgustĂn; Blancas-Vázquez, Jorge; Rivera-González, Irán; SolĂs-Rosales, Corina; RodrĂguez-Ceja, MarĂa; Gandy, Devlin A.; Navarro-Gutierrez, Zamara; De La Rosa-DĂaz, JesĂşs J.; Huerta-Arellano, Vladimir; MarroquĂn-Fernández, Marco B.; MartĂnez-Riojas, L. Martin; LĂłpez-JimĂ©nez, Alejandro; Higham, Thomas; Willerslev, Eske (2020).
234:
E.; Barba-PingarĂłn, Luis; Ortiz-ButrĂłn, AgustĂn; Blancas-Vázquez, Jorge; Rivera-González, Irán; SolĂs-Rosales, Corina; RodrĂguez-Ceja, MarĂa; Gandy, Devlin A.; Navarro-Gutierrez, Zamara; De La Rosa-DĂaz, JesĂşs J.; Huerta-Arellano, Vladimir; MarroquĂn-Fernández, Marco B.; MartĂnez-Riojas, L. Martin; LĂłpez-JimĂ©nez, Alejandro; Higham, Thomas; Willerslev, Eske (2020).
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have been produced from the cave wall. Chatters also believes that blade cores and tertiary flakes would be found near the site if the tools were created by human flaking. Kurt
Rademaker, another member of the team, found the images of the proposed tools to lack chipping around the edge which is usually common on stone tools.
179:
Chatters raised a number of concerns about the work done by
Ardelean at Chiquihuite Cave. He claims that there was not enough detail provided on how the lithic analysis was conducted. He also recommends that Ardelean should have excavated at the mouth of the cave where humans were more likely to have
175:
created as the result of natural processes. He found that the slope of limestone pointing towards the mouth of the cave could have caused a natural deposit of stone, which would be naturally flaked during the fall, to appear like artifacts. Furthermore, Ardelean's data indicates that limestone could
170:
concluded that if the dating of the
Chiquihuite site were accurate, the population present would have had to have been completely invisible to genetic studies and contributed no genes to ancestral Native Americans. Additionally, the potential artifacts were called into question, with the researchers
109:
The site is lacking in cultural evidence of humans, making archaeologists conclude that the site was visited only occasionally by bands of hunter-gatherers; perhaps it was used as a refuge during particularly severe weather. Evidence indicates that the cave was in use for approximately 16,000 years.
70:
Many of the stones found in
Chiquihuite Cave are believed to be artifacts, specifically human-made tools. Almost 30 percent of the tools show signs of usage around the edges. They are made of black and green limestone. The use of limestone indicates human selectivity because of its availability near
928:
Ardelean, Ciprian F.; Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena; Pedersen, Mikkel
Winther; Schwenninger, Jean-Luc; Oviatt, Charles G.; MacĂas-Quintero, Juan I.; Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquin; Sikora, Martin; Ocampo-DĂaz, Yam Zul E.; Rubio-Cisneros, Igor I.; Watling, Jennifer G.; de Medeiros, Vanda B.; De Oliveira, Paulo
233:
Ardelean, Ciprian F.; Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena; Pedersen, Mikkel
Winther; Schwenninger, Jean-Luc; Oviatt, Charles G.; MacĂas-Quintero, Juan I.; Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquin; Sikora, Martin; Ocampo-DĂaz, Yam Zul E.; Rubio-Cisneros, Igor I.; Watling, Jennifer G.; de Medeiros, Vanda B.; De Oliveira, Paulo
341:
Chatters, James C.; Potter, Ben A.; Prentiss, Anna Marie; Fiedel, Stuart J.; Haynes, Gary; Kelly, Robert L.; Kilby, J. David; Lanoë, François; Holland-Lulewicz, Jacob; Miller, D. Shane; Morrow, Juliet E.; Perri, Angela R.; Rademaker, Kurt M.; Reuther, Joshua D.; Ritchison, Brandon T.; Sanchez,
183:
Ardelean has responded to this critique with an article defending his argument. He further analyzed ten of the stone tools with special attention to evidence of flake technology and use-wear. He remains confident that 239 tools from the lowest layer were locked beneath a layer of mud and were
180:
been rather than deep inside the cave. Finally, Chatters found that the human behaviors at
Chiquihuite Cave, namely the diet shown through faunal analysis and patterns of usage of such an inaccessible area, are incompatible with previous scientific understandings of early humans.
739:
Ardelean, Ciprian F.; Pedersen, Mikkel W.; Schwenninger, Jean-Luc; Arroyo-Cabrales, JoaquĂn; Gandy, Devlin A.; Sikora, Martin; MacĂas-Quintero, Juan I.; Huerta-Arellano, Vladimir; De La Rosa-DĂaz, JesĂşs J.; Ocampo-DĂaz, Yam Zul E.; Rubio-Cisneros, Igor I. (2022-01-02).
126:
epochs in other parts of Mexico, too. They refer to “the northwest region of Mexico, the
Chiapas Highlands, Central Mexico, and the Caribbean coast”. This new research pushes back “dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000–31,000 years ago”.
51:(Mexico). Ardelean's team recovered 1,930 stone artifacts from the cave. Evidence of wind-blown sediment indicates that these artifacts could have moved horizontally, but not vertically through stratigraphic layers used to date them. The researchers obtained 46
71:
the cave but not within it. The shape of many of the artifacts also suggest that they were flaked using human tools such as wooden or bone hammers. Ardelean considers some of the artifacts to be transversal points, suggesting that they were made using
46:
Excavations were started in 2012, when a test pit unearthed unusual stones believed to be artifacts. Further excavations were carried out in an expanded 3-meter-deep excavation unit in 2016 and 2017 under the leadership of
Ciprian Ardelean of the
82:
in all samples from inside the cave. It is unlikely that the palm phytoliths were naturally present in the cave based on the high altitude. It is more likely that they are remnants of plants brought into the cave by early humans.
641:
Chatters, James C.; Potter, Ben A.; Prentiss, Anna Marie; Fiedel, Stuart J.; Haynes, Gary; Kelly, Robert L.; Kilby, J. David; Lanoë, François; Holland-Lulewicz, Jacob; Miller, D. Shane; Morrow, Juliet E. (2022-01-02).
316:
342:
Guadalupe; Sánchez-Morales, Ismael; Spivey-Faulkner, S. Margaret; Tune, Jesse W.; Haynes, C. Vance (October 23, 2021). "Evaluating Claims of Early Human
Occupation at Chiquihuite Cave, Mexico".
987:
106:
was in the cave 13,000 years ago. No human DNA was found. The chances of finding human DNA in the cave were low, so human presence should not be ruled out because of this factor.
110:
If that is correct, Chiquihuite Cave serves as significant evidence that humans were adapted to living in high altitude mountainous areas much earlier than previously thought.
396:
146:) have yielded similar dates to Chiquihuite. Transversal points similar to those found in Chiquihuite Cave are common at Pleistocene sites in South America including the
565:
Boëda, Eric; Gruhn, Ruth; Vialou, Agueda Vilhena; Aschero, Carlos; Vialou, Denis; Pino, Mario; Gluchy, Maria; Pérez, Antonio; Ramos, Marcos Paulo (2021-01-02).
184:
therefore dated properly. Furthermore, the tools may even indicate that a beginner was learning how to flake from an expert based on marks on the artifacts.
62:
In addition to analyzing the stone artifacts, Ardelean's team used pollen analysis and DNA extractions to find if early humans had been present in the cave.
410:
992:
791:
The Chiquihuite Cave in Zacatecas, Mexico: Cultural Components, Lithic Industry and the Role of This Pleistocene Site in the Peopling of America.
613:
118:
According to the scientists involved in this research, recent investigations have uncovered good evidence of a human presence during the Late
533:
317:"30ky old archaeological material at Chiquihuite Cave, round 2: It still doesn't matter how much some of the objects look like stone tools"
793:
Ciprian Ardelean. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 (tDAR id: 443571)
48:
151:
384:
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Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena; Higham, Thomas (2020). "The timing and effect of the earliest human arrivals in North America".
167:
162:
Scholars disagree over the significance of the excavations at Chiquihuite Cave. In 2021, a team of researchers headed by
411:"Using Only Trace Amounts of Poop in Soil Samples, Researchers Sequenced Entire Genomes of Two Ancient Bear Species"
193:
102:
indicates that an ancestor of the American black bear was present in the cave 16,000 years ago and a now-extinct
198:
72:
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Vialou, Denis; Benabdelhadi, Mohammed; Feathers, James; Fontugne, Michel; Vialou, Agueda Vilhena (2017).
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135:
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Discovery in Mexican Cave May Drastically Change the Known Timeline of Humans' Arrival to the Americas.
567:"The Chiquihuite Cave, a Real Novelty? Observations about the Still-ignored South American Prehistory"
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https://www.science.org/content/article/were-humans-living-mexican-cave-during-last-ice-age
844:"Controversial cave discoveries suggest humans reached Americas much earlier than thought"
694:"Controversial cave discoveries suggest humans reached Americas much earlier than thought"
75:. This technology differentiates the artifacts from similar ones found at nearby sites.
59:. The dates indicate that the artifacts were used and discarded about 26,000 years ago.
742:"Chiquihuite Cave and America's Hidden Limestone Industries: A Reply to Chatters et al"
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Curry, Andrew (2020). "Were humans living in a Mexican cave during the last ice age?".
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27:
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475:"Peopling South America's centre: the late Pleistocene site of Santa Elina"
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from bone, charcoal, and sediment samples. They found six more dates using
491:
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644:"Evaluating Claims of Early Human Occupation at Chiquihuite Cave, Mexico"
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123:
103:
931:"Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum"
236:"Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum"
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139:
35:
31:
291:"First Americans may have arrived to the continent 30,000 years ago"
16:
Possible Upper Paleolithic archaeological site in Zacatecas, Mexico
154:), and Toca da Janela da Barra do AntoniĂŁo-Norte sites in Brazil.
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DNA from a wide range of animals was found in the cave, including
91:
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Researchers also considered environmental data. They found palm
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614:"Early Chiquihuite Cave 'artifacts' likely natural in origin"
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The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere
130:Other sites in the Western Hemisphere including
26:archaeological site in the Astillero Mountains,
988:Pre-Clovis archaeological sites in the Americas
8:
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485:(358). Antiquity Publications: 865–884.
315:Costopoulos, Andre (November 10, 2021).
210:
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7:
49:Autonomous University of Zacatecas
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993:Archaeological sites in Zacatecas
520:. University of Nebraska Press.
514:Steeves, Paulette F. C. (2021).
399:JULY 22, 2020 SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
171:suggesting that they are likely
350:(1). Informa UK Limited: 1–16.
289:Geggel, Laura (July 22, 2020).
152:Serra da Capivara National Park
1:
758:10.1080/20555563.2021.1985063
660:10.1080/20555563.2021.1940441
583:10.1080/20555563.2020.1851500
356:10.1080/20555563.2021.1940441
168:Central Washington University
692:Barras, Colin (2020-07-22).
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904:10.1038/d41586-020-02137-3
861:10.1038/d41586-020-02190-y
710:10.1038/d41586-020-02190-y
194:Settlement of the Americas
947:10.1038/s41586-020-2509-0
811:10.1038/s41586-020-2491-6
252:10.1038/s41586-020-2509-0
144:es:Abrigo de Santa Elina
66:Evidence of early humans
30:State, in North-Central
444:10.1126/science.abd9583
199:Meadowcroft Rockshelter
842:Barras, Colin (2020).
618:Texas State University
104:giant short-faced bear
73:microlithic technology
492:10.15184/aqy.2017.101
38:have been unearthed.
885:Gruhn, Ruth (2020).
526:10.2307/j.ctv1s5nzn7
415:Smithsonian Magazine
409:Gamillo, Elizabeth.
136:Santa Elina shelter
57:luminescence dating
134:in Canada and the
42:Excavation history
854:(7818): 670–671.
704:(7818): 670–671.
612:Blaschke, Jayme.
535:978-1-4962-0217-8
148:Toca da Tira Peia
90:, rodents, bats,
53:radiocarbon dates
24:Upper Paleolithic
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654:(1): 1–16.
623:30 November
158:Controversy
120:Pleistocene
94:, and even
88:black bears
982:Categories
577:(1): 1–7.
420:2022-01-30
205:References
122:and Early
80:phytoliths
971:256819465
955:0028-0836
913:0028-0836
870:0028-0836
835:220715918
819:0028-0836
774:239877807
766:2055-5563
726:220718521
676:239853925
668:2055-5563
599:230533453
591:2055-5563
552:241930357
501:0003-598X
479:Antiquity
460:225373809
452:0036-8075
372:239853925
364:2055-5563
276:256819465
260:0028-0836
28:Zacatecas
963:32699412
921:32699366
878:32699369
827:32699413
718:32699369
268:32699412
188:See also
173:geofacts
124:Holocene
436:Science
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36:hearth
32:Mexico
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328:2023
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