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| The '''Paisley Caves''' complex in the ] is an ]; in one, Paisley 5 Mile Point Cave, human ]s, thought to be evidence of the oldest definitely-dated human presence in ], have been discovered. | The '''Paisley Caves''' complex in the ] of ] is an ]; in one, Paisley 5 Mile Point Cave, human ]s, thought to be evidence of the oldest definitely-dated human presence in ], have been discovered. | ||
| ==Discovery== | ==Discovery== | ||
Revision as of 16:26, 4 April 2008
The Paisley Caves complex in the U.S. state of Oregon is an archeological site; in one, Paisley 5 Mile Point Cave, human coprolites, thought to be evidence of the oldest definitely-dated human presence in North America, have been discovered.
Discovery
According to a report published online 2008-04-03, a field school from the University of Oregon found a pre-Clovis culture site in the summer of 2007, containing the oldest human DNA yet discovered in the American continents. This assertion is based on dried-out samples of excrement (called coprolites) found in the Paisley Caves, about 220 miles southeast of Eugene, Oregon, on the eastern side of the Cascade mountain range. The caves are in the Summer Lake basin at 4520 ft elevation and face to the west. They are north of the town of Paisley, Oregon. The coprolites were in the same level as a small rock-lined hearth some 2 meters below the modern surface. At that level was also discovered a large number of bones from waterfowl, fish, and large mammals including extinct camel and horse. Radiocarbon dating places these coprolites between 12,750 and 14,290 calendar years before the present, probably representing a pre-Clovis occupation.
The theory that Pre-Clovis immigrants travelled to North America down the Pacific Coast suggests that the travellers would have passed through the hinterlands of what is Oregon today. The Paisley Caves, up-river from the Pacific Ocean along the Klamath River, are therefore an ideal spot to search for the evidence of such people.
See also
References
- Science Express
- Preclovis
- Dennis L. Jenkins, Director, Northern Great Basin Field School. "NGBPP Research at the Paisley Caves". Retrieved 2008-04-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Paisley Caves
- Discovery of preclovis human DNA
- Scientific American
- NYTimes
- Paisley Caves description from University of Oregon
42°45′43″N 120°33′13″W / 42.76195°N 120.55368°W / 42.76195; -120.55368
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