Question

Why do you think the topic of Early Human migration to America is controversial for archaeologists?

Answer 1

Introduction: Migration is an important factor in evolution. Migration is referred to as individuals of a population moving in groups from one location to another. This enables mixture of two different populations and enables variations in gene flow. Migration occurs during climatic changes, breeding times and food availability.

Explanation: Human migration involves the movement of a population from one geographic location to a new one to settle in the region either temporarily or permanently. Human migration began approximately 2 million years ago.

The first American populations migrated during the Pleistocene epoch around 11,000 years ago were called as Paleo-Indians. Several theories and analysis were done to identify and connect the source of North and South America inhabitants who lived 11,000 years ago. The first theory proposed was known as ice-free corridor hypothesis that denotes the “Clovis model”. This model provides archaeological evidence, regarding the migration of Asian people around 13500 years ago entering North America, through the Bering Straits. The Bering Straits connected two continents northern Siberia and western Alaska. The population that reached land through the Bering Straits was big-game hunters, also known as Clovis hunters. These migrants mainly occupied the southeastern part of the North America.

Recently another theory was proposed based on the mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome analysis from different regions of America which proposed a new theory known as “coastal migration theory”. This theory proposes that the first population that reached America from Asia was through water travel along the coastlines of Pacific Ocean. This is called as “pre-Clovis” settlements. Thus, humans began to migrate through water around 17,000 to 23,000 years ago.

Recent linguistic, geological and genetic studies indicate that the Clovis culture was not the first model for migration in America. The geographical evidence shows settlements of population along the entire Pacific coastline of America before the melting of Laurentide barrier. Also the coastal settlements early humans were small hunters living on food that was easily available in the coast line such seals, shellfish and they were seed gatherers. Also there are evidences that suggest that people did not wait for northern glaciers to melt or break; rather they by passed the glaciers using boats along the northwestern coast of North America to reach the southern part.

Thus there is a controversy in the Clovis model not being the first and that the costal migration theory is the first one for American migration.