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One of the newly discovered spearheads allegedly created and used by pre-Clovis peoples in the Americas. Researchers believe that these weapons are the oldest discoveries in North America. ( Texas A & M University )
Archaeologists from Texas A & M University, Baylor University and the University of Texas have unearthed what could have been the oldest weapons in North America.
The team was digging at Debra L. Friedkin's site and found many old spear points about 3 to 4 inches long. They believe the weapons are about 15,500 years old.
The details of the discovery are published in the latest issue of the journal. Progress of science.
Pre-Clovis people
"There is no doubt that these weapons were used at the time to hunt game in the region," said Micahel Waters, professor of anthropology and co-author of the study.
According to a dating technique known as optically stimulated luminescence, the spear points were found under several feet of sediment in the site, about 15,500 years old. This places the weapons in front of the Clovis people, considered the first human being to arrive on the American continent.
Clovis existed between 13,000 and 12,700 years ago. Their weapons, which were used to hunt animals such as mammoths and the mastodon, were also found in parts of the United States and northern Mexico.
Missing piece of the puzzle
The discovery is significant as it bridges the gap between the pre-Clovis and Clovis eras of the early history of the Americas. The researchers hypothesized that spearheads recently discovered at the Texas archaeological site may have influenced the creation of Clovis Point and other subsequent projectile weapons.
"The results broaden our understanding of the first people to explore and settle in North America," Walter added. "The settlement of the Americas at the end of the last ice age was a complex process and this complexity is visible in their genetic records."
The spearheads were discovered on the Debra L. Friedkin site, about 40 miles northwest of Austin. Archaeologists found a total of 238 items, including 12 complete and fragmented projectile points.
The Debra L. Friedkin site has been an archaeological site for 12 years. The mission was funded by the North Star Archaeological Research Program and the Elfrieda Frank Foundation.
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