February 27, 2016

10,500 Year Old Hunting Camp Unearthed in Chihuahua

Archaeologists in northern Chihuahua have uncovered a 10,500 year old hunting camp. They have found 18,000 artifacts including stone flakes, cores, and hammers, along with 370 projectile points, and a dozen stone ovens. The 370 points represent 30 different styles from the Paleoindian to the Archaic. They found the remains of a teenage girl interred 3,200 years ago.  Radiocarbon dates on the teeth of the girl date to 1360 BCE.
In the 1990’s, archaeologists had found the earliest remnants of corn in Chihuahua at the nearby site of Cerro Juanaqueña. The maize dated to 1150 BCE. If the girl is related to this culture, more can be known about the people of the region. Strontium isotope analysis of her teeth may yield information about where she was born and raised and her diet.

Western Digs has the report here;
http://westerndigs.org/grave-teenage-girl-southwest-earliest-farmers/

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Southwest Magazine
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Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Southwest/Mound Builders News Magazine
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