Earth Notes: Clovis Culture and Megafauna

Archaeological evidence shows that the Clovis people, with their iconic spear points, spread widely across much of North America near the end of the last ice age.

The age of the Clovis culture has been the subject of debate, but Western scientists generally believe that it was well established by 13,000 years ago.

The origins of the Clovis people are uncertain. Western scientists once believed that they were the original migrants from Asia to the Americas, but evidence now shows that people were in the Americas thousands of years before the appearance of the Clovis culture.

Recent testing of bones and human-made objects at Texas A&M University indicates that Clovis people made their tools for only 300 years — a surprisingly brief period. Why would such a widespread and successful techno