Archaeology & History

New evidence of early humans found in Oregon dates back 18,250 years

By T.K. Randall
July 12, 2026

Image: Early Human History
Credit: (PD) U.S. National Park Service The story of humans in the Americas was long thought to have began when the first inhabitants reached the continent from Asia somewhere around 13,000 years ago.

Now, though, a fascinating discovery made at an archaeological site in Oregon may serve to rewrite the history books and force a rethink about exactly when the earliest humans arrived there.

Named Rimrock Draw, the site - which was thought to have once been an ancient rock shelter - is now believed to date back a staggering 18,250 years.University of Oregon researchers working at the site unearthed two stone tools made from orange agate as well as extinct camel and bison teeth.

By Radiocarbon dating the enamel from the teeth, it was possible to determine how old they were.

"This early date aligns well with the oral histories of the tribal nations in the region, many of whom have stories about witnessing geological events like the Missoula floods, a series of events that changed everything for the tribes between 18,000 and 15,000 years ago," said Oregon State University anthropologist Prof David Lewis.

"As well, tribes have oral histories of encountering giant animals, monsters on the land, and Rimrock Draw rock shelter's evidence suggests that we did interact with the megafauna, and they may have become characters in our histories of the time before memory."

Source: Mail Online

Tags: America