Oldest Skeleton in the Americas?

National Geographic News recently published an article about the oldest skeleton ever found in the Americas. This skeleton of a female, believed to date to 13,600 years ago, was found in an underwater cave near Tulum, Mexico. Eva de Naharon, named after the cave in which she was found, was accompanied by three other skeletons dating between 11,000-14,000 years ago. Chan hol, one of the other skeletons found, is being excavated currently and is believed to be possibly even older than Eva.

The cave is now 50 feet below sea level but Eva and the other skeletons are believed to have lived in the caves at a time when sea levels were much lower. It is thought that sea levels at that time were as much as 200 feet below their current levels. Along with the human remains, archaeologists have found the remains of such species as elephants, giant sloths and even ancient fauna, which could possibly help to determine the age of the site and re-create the environment near the coast.

These finds raise some questions about the prevailing theory of the populating of the Americas. This theory, commonly referred to as Clovis First, states that the first Americans crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia into Alaska around 11,500-13000 years ago (for more information click here). First of all the age of the skeletons doesn’t seem to fit with the theory. They are much older than would be expected. There may be a reason for this though. According to David Anderson, an archaeologist from the University of Tennessee, the seawater that these bones have been in for thousands of years might have potentially altered the levels of Carbon 14 in the bones. Any alteration in the levels of C14 is going to affect what is believed to be the correct age of these bones. Another aspect that raises questions is the skull morphology. Eva’s skull has more characteristic features of those found in Southern Asia rather than Northern Asia. These finds will be very important as experts learn more about them and confirm information such as how old they are and even where they came from.