The key to uncovering America’s ancient past lies underwater. In the waning centuries of the last Ice Age, many of the favorite hunting grounds and camps of early Americans were flooded with waters unlocked from the melting polar ice. But now, thanks to SCUBA-diving archaeologists, a clear picture is emerging of the peoples who came to the Americas by boat—thousands of years before the Clovis peoples (who became the ancestors of today’s Native Americans). In a deep sinkhole beneath Aucilla River in Florida, some of the most intriguing evidence to date for these pre-Clovis peoples has been carefully excavated—using specialized underwater exploration rigs. Scientists have discovered an incredibly rare 14,550 year-old hunting site, complete with stone tools, a slaughtered mastodon, and hints of canine companions who might have helped with the hunt.
via Ars Technica
Image: Brendan Fenerty
