The Oldest Home in the Americas

Investigative report on the Science Advances study uncovering the oldest confirmed dwelling structure in the Americas, Ice Age sewing needles, and early domesticated dogs at Shég′ Xdaltth′í′, Alaska. Swipe to see →

A 13,800-YEAR-OLD BASE CAMP IN ALASKA

A landmark study in Science Advances uncovers at Shég′ Xdaltth′í′ in the Tanana River Valley the oldest residential habitation structure in the Americas, dated to 13,800 years ago.

THE BERINGIAN ENIGMA AND POLAR ADAPTATION

For decades, standard models explaining the initial peopling of the Americas portrayed tiny, highly mobile hunter-gatherer bands rushing across the exposed Bering Land Bridge without settling into prolonged base camps.

THE OLDEST RESIDENTIAL HABITATION STRUCTURE

Within the deepest cultural component of the site, dated between 13,800 and 13,600 calibrated years ago, excavators exposed a distinct oval feature of compacted, organic-rich sediment measuring roughly 4.2 meters long by 3.1 meters wide.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

The following table synthesizes the chronological measurements, spatial parameters, and diagnostic artifacts documented in the peer-reviewed report published in Science Advances.

HUMANITY'S OLDEST HUNTING PARTNER

Among the thousands of fragmented animal bones excavated from the interior hearth and the adjacent exterior disposal midden, the recovery of canid cranial remains generated immediate excitement among evolutionary biologists.

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