Controversial Spearpoints Could Rewrite the Story of the First Americans

[Judi Lynn]

By Laura Geggel, Senior Writer | October 25, 2018 02:36pm ET

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A stemmed point that is about 15,000 years old. It's made out of chert, a type of sedimentary rock.
Credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans/Texas A&M University

Archaeologists have unearthed what are potentially the oldest weapons ever found in North America: eleven spearpoints dating to about 15,500 years ago, a new study finds.

If the discovery, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Austin, Texas, can be verified, it could strengthen the argument that people settled the Americas earlier than previously thought. But not all experts are convinced by the evidence, with some saying the dating techniques used are unconventional.

The stone-made spearpoints, each measuring up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, are so old they predate the Clovis people, who for decades were thought to be the first people to populate the Americas. [In Photos: New Clovis Site in Sonora]


Controversial Spearpoints Could Rewrite the Story of the First Americans
A stemmed point that is about 15,000 years old. It's made out of chert, a type of sedimentary rock.
Credit: Center for the Study of the First Americans/Texas A&M University
Archaeologists have unearthed what are potentially the oldest weapons ever found in North America: eleven spearpoints dating to about 15,500 years ago, a new study finds.

If the discovery, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Austin, Texas, can be verified, it could strengthen the argument that people settled the Americas earlier than previously thought. But not all experts are convinced by the evidence, with some saying the dating techniques used are unconventional.

The stone-made spearpoints, each measuring up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, are so old they predate the Clovis people, who for decades were thought to be the first people to populate the Americas. [In Photos: New Clovis Site in Sonora]

"There is no doubt these weapons were used for hunting game in the area at that time," Michael Waters, a distinguished professor of anthropology and director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M University, said in a statement.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/63926-oldest-north-american-weapons.html