Ancient "Vehicles" Traced Back 20,000 Years Found in New Mexico

A recent study indicates that the first inhabitants of North America utilized wooden contraptions for moving items, and potentially humans as well, over 20,000 years ago.

Scientists found drag marks resembling those of a sled next to ancient footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, which could be oldest human footprint site in North America.

The indigenous individuals who were part of the research indicated that the markings were created using a travois, consisting of two poles tied together to form a wooden structure, as stated in the study released in the January issue of the journal. Quaternary Science Advances .

The Indigenous communities from the Great Plains region, which encompasses parts of present-day New Mexico, utilized travois dragged by canines (later replaced by equine species after colonization) for transporting their dwellings, household items, and various belongings during initial interactions with European settlers roughly five centuries back. According to research findings, young individuals alongside elderly females were known to travel aboard these contraptions as well. Researchers have posited that considering the dimensions and placement patterns observed among prehistoric human tracks discovered adjacent to scrape markings left behind, adult members probably took charge of pulling the travois forward while younger ones trailed along beside them.

" numerous individuals might recognize the experience of guiding a shopping cart through a supermarket, shifting from one area to another with kids clinging onto it," as stated by the study’s lead author. Matthew Bennett , a professor specializing in environmental and geographical sciences at Bournemouth University in the UK, stated statement This seems to be the early version, though lacking wheels.

Related: The first Americans weren’t whom we initially believed them to be.

Bennett observed that researchers understand our forebears had to use some means for transporting their belongings during global migrations; however, such wooden devices have decomposed over time. These newly found scrape marks offer the initial evidence of how ancient humans shifted bulky items. before wheels , he said.

In 2020, researchers initiated excavation at the location of the drag marks. Situated in White Sands, these trackways are encapsulated within layers of ancient hardened mud that lie underneath sediments. Thousands of years back, humans walked through this area. trudged through this landscape beside woolly mammoths, enormous ground sloths, camels, and numerous other species ice age creatures.

The drag marks comprise lines in the soil stretching over 165 feet (50 meters) upwards. These markings included some singular lines, potentially created by two poles tied together at their ends forming an A-shape. Additionally, there were instances where there were pairs of parallel lines, presumably resulting from two poles intersecting in the center to form an X-shape, as stated in the report.

The Indigenous inhabitants of the Great Plains generally utilized a wooden framework shaped like an 'A,' often incorporating crossbars or woven basketry for securing items, as indicated by the research. Investigators hypothesized that early settlers in this area employed similar contraptions. To validate their hypothesis, they constructed travois from wood poles and pulled these structures across muddy flats in the UK and coastal areas of Maine.

"In our experiments, the imprints and mud trails from the poles looked identical to the fossilized specimens we discovered in New Mexico," Bennett stated.

Bennett and his colleagues previously dated The human footprints found in White Sands date back approximately 21,000 to 23,000 years ago—this challenges the earlier belief that humans first came to North America between 13,000 and 16,000 years ago. While not all experts concur with this timeline for the site’s age, the study's authors emphasized that regardless of when exactly they were made, these recently discovered traces highlight ancient indigenous activities without diverting attention from their significance.

Each finding we reveal at White Sands enhances our knowledge about the earliest inhabitants who settled in the Americas, according to the paper’s co-author. Sally Reynolds A mammalian paleontologist at Bournemouth University stated in the release, "These individuals were the initial settlers to migrate to North America, and gaining insights into their movements is crucial for accurately narrating their history."