Everything Everywhere Daily The Clovis First Hypothesis
12 snips
Jan 24, 2026 A look at the Clovis First hypothesis and the archaeology that made it dominant. The show explores major pre‑Clovis finds from sites like Paisley Caves, Buttermilk Creek, Meadowcroft, Monte Verde, and Cooper's Ferry. It examines controversial outliers such as the Cerruti Mastodon and Bluefish Caves. Alternative migration ideas, including the kelp highway coastal model, are also discussed.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Clovis First As Archaeological Orthodoxy
- The Clovis First hypothesis held that Clovis people arrived ~13,000 years ago via the Bering land bridge and were the first Americans.
- That narrative became archaeological orthodoxy because Clovis artifacts were widespread and dated reliably to the late Pleistocene.
The Mammoth Spear Point That Defined Clovis
- Edgar B. Howard found a fluted stone spear point embedded in a woolly mammoth rib near Clovis, New Mexico in 1932.
- That association with extinct megafauna anchored the timeline and power of the Clovis narrative.
Entrenched Skepticism Around Pre-Clovis Claims
- The Clovis First view resisted contrary evidence and researchers who challenged it were labeled and dismissed.
- New claims faced rigorous scrutiny over soil, dating, contamination, and artifact authenticity.