GOODLAND, Kan. - Archaeologists have returned to a dig near the Colorado-Kansas border for a third summer, but this year's dig has taken on new importance.

Radiocarbon dating results finished in February showed that mammoth and prehistoric camel bones found at a rural site near Kanorado, about a mile from the Colorado border, dated back to 12,200 years ago. That would mean people who once camped at the site may have arrived in the Great Plains 700 years before historians previously thought.

The bones appear to have tool marks made by humans, who probably broke them to extract marrow for food or to make tools, said Steve Holen, curator of archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Finding tools near where the bones were found would disprove the widely held belief that humans arrived in North America about 11,500 years ago.

"The best thing we could find is a very patterned artifact — one that it's obvious humans made it," Holen told the Lawrence Journal-World. "It would change the way we think about early humans in North America."

More than 100 archaeologists from the Denver Museum, the University of Kansas, the Kansas Archaeological Association and the Kansas Archaeology Training Program of the Kansas State Historical Society are working at the site.

The dig is being funded partly by the Odyssey Archaeological Research Fund, an endowed program trying to find the earliest evidence of humans on the Great Plains.

Kim Kilmartin, a Baker University sophomore from Topeka, is spending her summer at the site after completing an internship in a processing lab at the Kansas State Historical Society.

"It's actually a lot more fun than it looks," she said. "In the lab, you actually know what you're looking for. Finding it in the field is very cool, even if it's the smallest stone flake or bone fragment."

Evidence of campsites for early plains people have already been found, the researchers said. Pieces of tools and a bead from the Clovis era — from about 10,800 years ago to 11,500 years ago — have been uncovered.

Rolfe Mandel, an archaeological geologist with the Kansas Geological Survey, said this was the first site uncovered from the period in Kansas or Nebraska, and one of only a handful from the Midwest.

"We knew they were here," he said of Clovis-period people. "We didn't know anything about how they may have spent their time while they weren't traveling across the landscape. That's been very elusive."

In prehistoric times, the Kanorado site likely had marshlike water that drew large animals, which attracted humans, Mandel said. People of the era were highly mobile, though, so they likely didn't stay for long.

But workers at the site would be thrilled to find evidence to push back the dates humans arrived in the Great Plains.

If such an artifact was found, the researchers say, it would raise questions about whether the earliest inhabitants of North America came across the Bering Strait from Asia. Instead, they may have arrived by boat in South America and journeyed northward.

Holen said that would raise doubts about the long-held scientific doctrine that humans have been in North America for about 11,500 years.

"There is a strong contingent that still believes that," he said. "We're going to do what we can to disprove that."

___

Isn't this is the place were they are trying to ban evolution, or have ID placed in the science class and change the definition of science? Every God fearing person knows the Earth is only 6000 years old. Those scientists can just back off! I'm going to bulldoze over that work of Satan. The Bible is the only science we need around here!

Now you know why Dorothy caught the first twister out of town.

But why did she want to get back
ah of course because her theology didn't match with anywhere else outside of kansas
Thats why all that having blind faith in your Ruby slippers worked for her.
Theres no place like ignorance, theres no place like ignorance, theres no place like ignorance
So does that mean that the Wizard actually was a manisfestation of God or do you think that Toto was in charge the whole time.

Marduk,

You make me laugh, you're funny!

By the way, waiting to chat again!!!

Does Frank Oz know about this marduk?

Frank Oz ?
you mean
"the muppet master"
probably

Wicked witch and the Wizard?
And where is "No WMD's"?

Did you notice too
that if you hold a cursor over the picture the "no brain" disappears and you get the option to enlarge
bet Dubya wishes it was that simple

Excuse me...am I missing something?

I thought this was a thread about an archaeologists discovery and not the popular US bashing.

It's getting as tiresome as some people bringing up 9/11.

Please don't bring up 9/11
its as tiresome as U.S. Pres bashing.
btw that picture is of american origin
so its not bashing if its self parody
is it ?

As was DJ's second post???

No
that was just honest
and well founded in fact

They are not facts... they are bigoted, ignorant opinions.

If thats what you think Michelle then i suggest you get the facts before trying to debunk what has in fact been reported widely in media
the kansas state education board is strongly in favour of creationist science
Thats the truth
of course saying that anyone who disagrees with that is bigoted or ignorant is the usual claim from creationists whenever someone points out that they're talking out of their asses.

http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2005...k_5_13_2005.asp

Regardless of what a few fanatics wish to push on the rest of the population, they seem to have become the focus of this thread... which is not on topic.


If that is what you wish to discuss then I suggest you start a thread on it.

You don't see how a new archaeological discovery in Kansas is linked to their education system saying it doesn't exist
It is the same subject
both concern evolution
both are in Kansas
It is a fairly obvious parallel.
if you don't like it
go start a thread yourself with a more specific title like
"N America's Earliest Campsite/No local opinion allowed"

I didn't realize you were a local.

Then you must realize that the school board has not been able to accomplish what it set out to do, so that must mean they are not in the majority.

agreed,
but the fact that they set out to accomplish it in the first place speaks volumes. that was what prompted luicds response.
not bigotry or ignorance as you claimed
btw everyone with an internet connection is local
Personally i wouldn't visit Kansas.
all those twisters look terribly dangerous
i saw them on the telly

The twisters have been sent, by God, to rid the world of fanatic, trailer trash with their front teeth missing. They have served their purpose well.

Theres two things i don't get about Kansas and Twisters
1) Why do peope always rebuild their homes on the same spot year after year
2) where the hell do they get home insurance.

Michelle,I am truly sorry if I offended you or anyone else. I was mearly trying to male a point. I did originally start this topic because of the archeological and anthropological significance of the discovery, and thought it ironic that it happened in Kansas.

DJ

It is rather ironic....

I just hope you know that they aren't the majority.

I always wondered that about Florida.

Ditto the middle east

ditto 'flood plain' around SE England

Which flood plain of SE england ?
thats just the hurricane capital
I'm not aware of any sizeable flood in that area
where do you live
????

remember the winter floods marduk?
some years back....

No
i remember the hurricane.
not the floods
where was this exactly ?
Maybe you mean SW england ?
boscombe ?

maybe

Ok
so maybe you know the difference between and "isthmus" and a "country" when it applies to localised flooding huh