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.”

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In ancient Ireland, around 5,000 years ago, the notion that an incestuous social elite ruled over the people was questioned by new research. The study examined DNA evidence from burials at Newgrange, a prehistoric monument, which previously led to speculation about a ruling class or royal family being buried there.

Researchers analyzed a bone skull fragment found in the chamber and discovered that it belonged to an individual who was likely born of incestuous relationships, but also distantly related to others buried in the same tomb. This finding suggested that only certain individuals were buried in the chamber, implying they held special positions in society.

However, researchers from the University of York and University College Dublin have now shown that there is no evidence of an elite class existing economically or socially among nearby settlements, dietary practices, or trade. They believe that ancient Irish society was more equal, as evidenced by shared resources, similar dwellings, and a lack of large settlement systems or trade mechanisms.

Professor Penny Bickle stated, “The evidence points to a much more collective ethos.” She added, “We can only begin to understand these monuments and tombs if we examine the social lives or the communities that built and used them.”

Newgrange is an ancient monument older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, believed to have been built by a farming community in County Meath. The original burial place of the skull fragment, NG10, dated to 3340-3020 BC, was questioned, as its genetic clustering typically reflects distant biological relationships rather than close familial ties.

Associate Professor Jessica Smyth noted that people were selected for burial in passage tombs, but the reasons behind this selection are unknown. She also mentioned that bodies were broken down and mixed with cremated remains before being placed in megalithic monuments, making it unclear who the parents of certain individuals might have been.

Professor Penny Bickle concluded, “It is by no means clear that the monument was the first burial site of NG10.” She added, “As it stands, the incestuous origins of NG10 are a one-off compared to all of the DNA data we have for Neolithic Ireland.”

The research, published in Antiquity, suggests that ancient Irish society might have been more inclusive and equal than previously thought.

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.