America’s First Inhabitants: Why Isn’t Clovis First Anymore?

The Clovis-First model was proposed in the early 20th century after artifacts were unearthed in Clovis, New Mexico. These artifacts hinted at civilizations far older than previously assumed. When Radiocarbon dating was developed in the 1950s, the Clovis artifacts were dated to 11,500 years ago. Proponents of the Clovis-First Model believe that there was one definitive migration from Asia, through an ice-free corridor, to pursue game animals. The Clovis-First Model remained the orthodox theory for many years; only recently has it begun to be edged out by other hypotheses. With well over 1000 volunteer hours in the Sam Noble Museum’s archaeology collection, Gerald Franklin has extensive knowledge about North America’s first cultures, and will be sharing current research on the state of the Clovis First theory during a free lecture on August 21.