Is Monte Verde really 14,500 years old? Researchers clash over true age of Chile's ancient site

Researchers are clashing over the true age of Chile's Monte Verde archaeological site, a debate with significant implications for understanding the initial peopling of the Americas. Two groups of scientists are defending the long-held view that the site was occupied by hunter-gatherers approximately 14,500 years ago. This stance challenges a recent study published in Science, which concluded that Monte Verde dates to between 4,200 and 8,200 years ago.

"They did not demonstrate that the original geological interpretation of the site was in error,"

said Vanderbilt University anthropologist Tom Dillehay, who has extensively studied Monte Verde. Conversely, University of Wyoming archaeologist Todd Surovell, lead author of the younger-age study, stated,

"I remain confident in our methodology and results."

The older age would place human occupation at Monte Verde over 1,500 years before previously known sites south of North America's continental ice sheets, suggesting an earlier migration into the Americas.