WisArch News, Spring 2020, Volume 20, Number 2

Archaeology News and Notes

The Age of Clovis Now Dated between 13,050 and 12,750 Years B. P.

A paper by Waters et al., published in the October 21, 2020 journal Science Advances, has reassessed the age and duration of Clovis based on the most current archaeological information and modern radiocarbon dating methods. An evaluation conducted by Waters and Stafford in 2007 had determined that Clovis dates between 13,000 and 12,600 calendar years B. P. (before present). The current reassessment is based on dates from 10 sites which were unavailable in 2007 and major advances in radiocarbon dating technology which has improved its accuracy.

The proposed Clovis chronology is based on 32 radiocarbon ages from those 10 sites, all of which contain diagnostic Clovis points. The earliest Clovis sites, dating at 13,050 cal. Years B.P., are contemporaneous with two nonClovis complexes: the Western Stemmed Tradition in western North America and the Fishtail Point Complex in South America. Both of these complexes are characterized by stemmed, not fluted points.

The authors conclude that Clovis technology developed south of the continental ice sheets and originated in the earliest sites in North America. They suggest that people were in the Americas by 16,000 to 15,000 cal. years B.P. and that the Clovis technology was developed by these earlier people.