The First Americans

June 10, 2002
Who got here first? That's the controversial question that has galvanized American archeology from its earliest days. The traditional view is that the first residents of the new world were the Clovis people, hunters who crossed the Bering Strait during the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. Yet based on his own research, archeologist Adovasio launches a spirited attack on the Clovis theory. With co-writer Jake Page, a former Natural History
editor, Adovasio explains his findings at a site called Meadowcroft in southwestern Pennsylvania. Two of the ancient tools from this dig were carbon-dated to 12,900 and 13,170 B.C., thousands of years before the Clovis lived. This discovery has thrust Adovasio into the center of the anti-Clovis movement. Adovasio weighs the Meadowcroft findings against the history of American archeology itself. He profiles seminal figures in the field as well as some cranky Clovis theorists, and reviews different theoretical approaches. He also explains the use of dating methods such as dendrochronology (counting the rings of trees) and lucidly discusses the natural history of the continent, with its glaciers and ancient megafauna. While these factors are relevant to the question of human habitation, Adovasio's very broad view somewhat dilutes the main story of the Clovis wars. There's also a note of bitterness and personal grievance in Adovasio's discussion of his pro-Clovis colleagues, which may turn off some readers.