Virginia Steen-McIntyre's Story: Paradigm Battle Over Peopling of America

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andre
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on Virginia Steen-McIntyre's research regarding the age of volcanic ash layers at the Hueyatlaco archaeological site in Mexico, which she dated to approximately 260,000 years. This finding challenges the established timeline of human presence in the Americas, particularly the Clovis culture, which is typically dated to 12,000-11,000 years ago. The publication of her findings in the 1981 paper "Geologic evidence for age of deposits at Hueyatlaco archeological site" in Quaternary Research has sparked ongoing debate about the interpretation of stratigraphy and sedimentary processes in the region. The conversation highlights the complexities and potential misinterpretations in geological dating and the implications for understanding human history.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of stratigraphy and sedimentary processes
  • Familiarity with archaeological dating techniques
  • Knowledge of the Clovis culture and its significance in North American archaeology
  • Awareness of the controversies surrounding paleoanthropological research
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the methodologies used in dating volcanic ash layers, such as tephrochronology
  • Explore the implications of the Clovis-first model in North American archaeology
  • Study the stratigraphic analysis techniques used in paleoanthropological contexts
  • Investigate other archaeological sites that present similar dating controversies
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for archaeologists, geologists, and historians interested in the peopling of the Americas, as well as anyone engaged in the study of paleoanthropology and the interpretation of geological evidence in archaeological contexts.

Andre
Messages
4,294
Reaction score
73
The Earth science battlefields are as fierce as any other. One highly contested paradigm is the peopling of America. And quite unwillingly, a major feature in that battle is poor innocent Virginia Steen-McIntyre, who was so unfortunate to date volcanic ash layers that covered some paleo indian stone tools to an ago of some 260,000 years

That story is http://disputatio.com/articles/006-1.pdf and it took 15 years of ardent battling to get those results published in:

Steen-McIntyre, Virginia; Fryxell, Roald; Malde, Harold E (Jul 1981) Geologic evidence for age of deposits at Hueyatlaco archeological site, Valsequillo, Mexico . Quaternary Research, vol. 16, no.1, pp.1-15

As everything bound to get on the net eventually, this paper is now available too, at least the first ten pages:

http://www.valsequilloclassic.net/VSM/quaternary_research/quaternary_research_1981.pdf

But much more on her website here:

http://www.valsequilloclassic.net/VSM/index.htm

I love those little anomalies, challenging mainstream science and 260,000 old Clovis type flute points (normally 12-11,000 years old) is outrageous. However, looking at (studying) the pictures and reading the story, I'm not so sure anymore if there could be a simple down to Earth explanation. That mud mixed with the tephra layer is suspicious Those tools may not be older than 260,000 years at all. They may in fact have any age.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
Quick look at the stratigraphy --- too many possible interpretations to call it an "anomaly" --- more along the lines of "Gee, it's the second half of the 20th century, and we're trained geologists, paleontologists, and can untangle any stratigraphic puzzle" vs. the hard reality of messy sedimentary processes.
 
Right. I was thinking of (recent) mud flows which do happen sometimes in hilly areas like that which could have mixed the tephra with mud as narrated, covering much younger strata.

But really, if true then it's again

The great tragedy of science, the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis with an ugly fact. Thomas Huxley