Archaeological Debate Challenges Timeline of First Americans at Monte Verde Site

For decades, the Monte Verde archaeological site in Chile has been a cornerstone in understanding the earliest human settlement of the Americas. However, a new study is challenging the long-held belief that the site dates back 14,500 years, suggesting a much more recent occupation period. This reevaluation has sparked debate among archaeologists, with some dismissing the new findings as flawed and others welcoming a fresh look at the peopling of the Americas.

The Significance of Monte Verde

Discovered in 1976, Monte Verde is located in the mountains of southern Chile and has yielded a wealth of artifacts, including stone tools, preserved wood, animal bones and skins, a human footprint, edible plant remains, hearths, and natural rope . The site’s original radiocarbon dating placed its occupation, known as Monte Verde II (MV-II), at approximately 14,500 years ago . This dating suggested that people may have traveled a coastal route to South America before the Clovis people moved through an ice-free corridor into North America around 13,000 years ago .

New Research Proposes a Younger Date

A recent study, published in the journal Science, challenges the established timeline. Researchers led by Todd Surovell of the University of Wyoming reevaluated the age and formation of MV-II, concluding that the site was likely occupied between 4,200 and 8,200 years ago . Surovell and his team collected soil and organic matter samples from areas near the MV-II site in 2023. Their analysis suggests that older dated materials were redeposited onto a much younger site, creating the illusion of greater age.

A key element of their argument centers around a layer of volcanic ash, known as the Lepué Tephra, which dates back 11,000 years. The researchers found this tephra in geological sections along a nearby creek and believe erosion cut a channel through the site, settling MV-II on top of the tephra layer, making it younger than 11,000 years old .

Controversy and Criticism

The new findings have been met with skepticism from other archaeologists. Tom Dillehay, who has spent 50 years studying Monte Verde, disputes the researchers’ conclusions, stating there is no 11,000-year-old ash layer underneath the MV-II site . Michael Waters, a geoarchaeologist at Texas A&M University, described the study’s geological work as “egregiously poor,” citing a lack of essential analyses like micromorphology and paleosol examination .

Despite the controversy, some archaeologists agree that the debate is healthy for the field. David Meltzer, an archaeologist at Southern Methodist University, acknowledged the value of alternative perspectives but also pointed out limitations in the new study’s methodology, noting that the samples were taken from areas distant from the actual site .

Implications for Understanding the Peopling of the Americas

The debate surrounding Monte Verde highlights the ongoing complexities in understanding how and when the Americas were first populated. Even if the new dating is correct, many archaeologists believe it won’t fundamentally alter the broader narrative of early migration patterns, which likely involved a coastal route . Surovell himself suggests the need for further replication of dating methods at other pre-Clovis sites, such as White Sands in New Mexico, to ensure accuracy .

The scientific team behind the Monte Verde Project is preparing a detailed response to address the methodological and empirical concerns raised in the recent study .