The age of Clovis-13,050 to 12,750 cal yr B.P
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Radiocarbon dating reveals the Clovis culture existed from approximately 13,050 to 12,750 years ago. This period saw multiple contemporary cultures in the Americas, preceding the Younger Dryas and megafauna extinctions.
Area Of Science
- Archaeology
- Paleoclimatology
- Paleoecology
Background
- The Clovis culture is a significant archaeological complex in North America.
- Understanding the precise timing and duration of the Clovis culture is crucial for reconstructing Paleoamerican prehistory.
Purpose Of The Study
- To establish a precise chronological framework for the Clovis culture using radiocarbon dating.
- To investigate the contemporaneity of Clovis with other archaeological complexes and environmental events during the terminal Pleistocene.
Main Methods
- Radiocarbon dating of bone, charcoal, and carbonized plant remains from 10 Clovis sites.
- Calibration of radiocarbon ages to provide calibrated (cal) age ranges in years Before Present (yr B.P.).
Main Results
- Thirty-two radiocarbon ages yielded a maximum calibrated age range for Clovis of approximately 13,050 to 12,750 cal yr B.P.
- Clovis culture appeared at the end of the Allerød and disappeared at the beginning of the Younger Dryas.
- Other archaeological complexes, including stemmed projectile points in western North America and the Fishtail point complex in South America, were coeval or older than Clovis.
Conclusions
- The Clovis culture was one of at least three contemporary archaeological complexes in the Western Hemisphere during the terminal Pleistocene.
- The disappearance of Clovis coincided with the extinction of North American megafauna and the onset of the Younger Dryas, suggesting potential links between climate, human activity, and faunal change.
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