Giant sloth pendants suggest people arrived in the Americas thousands of years earlier than thought
NBCJul 07, 2023
The Facts
Archaeologists found three giant sloth bones at the Santa Elina rock shelter in central Brazil, which they say were likely perforated and polished by human hands between 25K and 27K years ago to be used as pendants. These would be the oldest known personal ornaments unearthed in the Americas.
Some scientists applauded the discovery's importance in the debate over when humans first reached the continent, while others are skeptical of the research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The current consensus is that people reached the Americas around 13.5K years ago.
The Spin
Narrative A
This puts the icing on the cake for modern researchers who believe the current consensus is outdated. Not only does this study shatter previous estimates for human migration, but it shows humans on the continent back then were more advanced than believed. For the public narrative to finally shift on this issue, we may need the newer generation of archaeologists to take over.
Narrative B
While many scientists agree that the old Bering Strait land bridge theory – which gives us the 13K-15K year mark – is outdated, there is still no solid evidence humans arrived as far back as 27K years ago. This debate is a long way from being settled, and more research must be conducted.