The discovery of ancient human footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park has sent shockwaves through the archaeological community. The footprints, estimated to be between 23,000 and 21,000 years old, are rewriting American history by suggesting that humans arrived in the Americas much earlier than previously thought.

Vance Holliday, a University of Arizona archaeologist and geologist, first visited White Sands in 2012 as part of a research project. He was invited to examine the geologic layers in trenches dug by previous researchers, but it wasn’t until he asked about a site on the adjacent missile range that the footprints were discovered.

Researchers from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom and the U.S. National Park Service excavated the footprints in 2019 and published their findings in 2021. However, critics have questioned the dating of the footprints, citing concerns over the reliability of ancient seeds and pollen used to determine the age.

Undeterred, Holliday led a new study that relied on radiocarbon dating using ancient mud instead of seeds and pollen. The results, published today in Science Advances, confirm that the footprints are between 20,700 and 22,400 years old, corroborating the original finding.

The new study marks the third type of material used to date the footprints, with two separate research groups producing a total of 55 consistent radiocarbon dates. As Holliday notes, “It’s a remarkably consistent record.”

While the discovery is significant, it raises questions about why there are no signs of artifacts or settlements left behind by those who made the footprints. Holliday acknowledges that this remains a mystery, but suggests that hunter-gatherers may have been careful not to leave behind any resources in their short time frame.

The discovery of ancient human footprints in White Sands National Park is rewriting American history and has significant implications for our understanding of when humans first arrived in the Americas. As Holliday says, “You get to the point where it’s really hard to explain all this away.”

A new study by a team of anthropologists has shed light on the mysterious migration routes of Neanderthals across Eurasia. Using computer simulations, researchers Emily Coco and Radu Iovita have created a map of possible pathways that suggest these ancient humans traveled approximately 2,000 miles (3,250 km) in less than 2,000 years.

The study reveals that Neanderthals likely used river valleys as natural highways to traverse the vast distances between Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia. The researchers considered factors such as terrain elevation, reconstructed ancient rivers, glacial barriers, and temperature when modeling the movement decisions of individual Neanderthals.

Two ancient periods were identified as prime migration windows: Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS 5e), beginning approximately 125,000 years ago, and Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), starting around 60,000 years ago. Both periods featured warmer temperatures, making it easier for Neanderthals to move across the landscape.

Computer simulations conducted on the NYU Greene Supercomputer Cluster indicated that Neanderthals could have reached the Siberian Altai Mountains within 2,000 years during either MIS 5e or MIS 3 by following multiple possible routes. These routes often intersected with known archaeological sites from the same time periods, providing a tangible link to the past.

The study provides important insights into Neanderthal interactions with other ancient human groups. The researchers note that their migration routes would have taken them into areas already occupied by Denisovans, consistent with existing evidence of interbreeding between the two species.

According to Iovita, “Neanderthals could have migrated thousands of kilometers from the Caucasus Mountains to Siberia in just 2,000 years by following river corridors.” This finding highlights the adaptability and resilience of these ancient humans, who were able to navigate challenging landscapes and establish themselves across vast distances.

The Dartmouth-led study has made a groundbreaking discovery in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, uncovering a 1,000-year-old Native American farm system that challenges preconceived ideas about agriculture in the region. The Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Menominee River features a raised ridge field system dating back to around the 10th century to 1600. This is the most complete ancient agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States.

The researchers surveyed approximately 330 acres using drone-based lidar, which provided a dataset that revealed clusters of ridged garden beds ranging from 4 to 12 inches in height. These raised fields were used by ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to grow corn, beans, squash, and other plants.

Lead author Madeleine McLeester noted that the scale of this agricultural system is 10 times larger than previously estimated, forcing a reconsideration of preconceived ideas about agriculture in the region and globally. The team’s findings also suggest that the ancestral Menominee communities were modifying the soil to rework the topography, using wetland soils to enrich the soil and remain from fires as compost.

The researchers conducted excavations at the site, recovering charcoal, broken ceramics, and artifacts, which suggested that remains from fires and household refuse were likely used as compost in the fields. The results showed that the farming system was a massive undertaking requiring organization, labor, and know-how to maximize agricultural productivity.

The findings have significant implications for our understanding of ancient agriculture in eastern North America and challenge existing forest history of the Upper Peninsula. The team is continuing their work with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin at the Menominee Sixty Islands site, planning to survey the site and locate ancestral Menominee villages.

This study demonstrates the importance of innovative technologies like drone-based lidar in uncovering hidden archaeological features and provides a unique window into pre-Colonial farming practices in the region. The discovery of this 1,000-year-old farm system serves as a reminder of the rich history and cultural heritage of the Native American communities that once thrived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.