Latin America

13 July 2023 / Evrim Yazgin

Three pendants made from the bones of the extinct giant ground sloth represent the oldest evidence of humans living in South America, dating back 25,000 years.

Determining when humans first arrived in the Americas continues to be the subject of intense debate and controversy. Scepticism persists in scientific circles about whether humans made it to the Americas before 16,000 years ago.

The artefacts, found in Santa Elina rock shelter in central Brazil, add to growing evidence for human occupation in South America much earlier than previously thought. A 2013 study of human-made objects in another Brazilian cave, Toca da Tira Peia, were dated to 22,000 years ago.

The latest finds are described in a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The small trinkets were made from osteoderms, literally meaning “bone skin.” These bony deposits are found within the skin of some animals, including crocodiles, dinosaurs and a few mammals like armadillos. It is believed that the primary use of osteoderms is to act like in-built armour.

More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/humans-south-america-25000-years-ago/