SOUTH AMERICAN SITES

ONE OF THE OLDEST SITES FOUND IN SOUTH AMERICA WAS IN MONTE VERDE IN SOUTHERN CHILE. ABOUT 15,000 B.P. 30 PEOPLE FOUND EVIDENCE OF SHELTERS MADE OF HIDES, AND THEY FOUND HEARTHS WHERETHEY HEATED AND COOKED THEIR MEAT. THEY FOUND SMALL COOKING POTS LINED WITH CLAY WHICH HAD BURNING CHARCOAL. SEVEN MASTODONS WERE FOUND THERE NEAR ONE HUT SET APART FROM THE OTHERS. MASTODONS DIED ABOUT 13,000 YEARS AGO. THEY FOUND 45 PLANT FOODS INCLUDING POTATOES AND MUSHROOMS - SOME CAME FROM HIGH UP AND 150 FEET UP. THEY FOUND 22 TYPES OF MEDICINAL PLANTS STILL USED BY THE NATIVES.

THIS SETTLEMENT CAME TO A SUDDEN END. THE WATER TABLE ROSE AND THAT IS WHY THE AREA FLOODED AND FORCED THE PEOPLE TO MOVE A PEAT BOG FORMED AND THAT IS WHY THEY FOUND WOOD AND HIDE, BUT NO HUMAN BONES, ONLY A FOOTPRINT. LLAMA LIKE ANIMALS WERE SOME OF THE HUNTED ANIMALS. THEY TRAPPED SMALL GAME, AND GATHERED FRUITS, NUTS, ROOTS, AND TUBERS. THEIR STONE TOOLS WERE SIMPLE AND THEY USED SIMPLE DIGGING STICKS.

ANOTHER SITE TO THE SOUTH DATES TO 35,000 B.P. BASED UPON CHARCOAL DATING FROM THE HEARTH.

A SITE IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL CALLED PEDRA FURADO HAS A ROCK SHELTER AT THE BOTTOM OF A HIGH CLIFF. FRENCH-BRAZILIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS SPENT 10 YEARS THERE AND DISCOVERED THAST IT DATES AS FAR BACK AS 32,000 B.P.

AT PEDRA PINTADA CAVE PAINTINGS OF HUMANS, ANIMALS, AND GEOMETRIC DESIGNS AND CHARRED REMAINS DATING TO CLOVIS TIMES BY DR. ROOSEVELT. HOEVER, THEY DID NOT HUNT BIG GAME - ONLY SMALL MAMMALS, BIRDS, FISH, TURTLES, BIRDS, FRUIT AND NUTS.


PATRICIA LAUBER