View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

A mid-Holocene age for Monte Verde challenges the timeline of human colonization of South America.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: A mid-Holocene age for Monte Verde challenges the timeline of human colonization of South America.
Authors: Surovell, Todd A. (AUTHOR), Méndez, César (AUTHOR), García, Juan-Luis (AUTHOR), Lüthgens, Christopher (AUTHOR), Thompson, Jay M. (AUTHOR), Latorre, Claudio (AUTHOR)
Source: Science. 3/19/2026, Vol. 391 Issue 6791, p1283-1288. 6p.
Subjects: Holocene Epoch, Radiocarbon dating, Continents, Colonization, Volcanic ash, tuff, etc., Archaeological chronology, Thermoluminescence dating, Archaeological site location
Geographic Terms: South America, Chile
Abstract: Our understanding of the timing of the human colonization of South America has been anchored by the Monte Verde II site in Chile, reported to date to ~14,500 years before the present (B.P.) and regarded as one of the most secure pre-Clovis archeological sites. We report the first independent investigation of Monte Verde in the nearly 50 years since initial excavations. We argue that radiocarbon and luminescence dates from alluvial exposures, in combination with the identification of a tephra dated to 11,000 years B.P. stratigraphically underlying the archaeological component, suggest that Monte Verde cannot be older than the Middle Holocene (8200 to 4200 years B.P.). With colonization no longer anchored by Monte Verde, our revised chronology supports a more recent date of human arrival to South America. Editor's summary: There is much debate surrounding the dates of human occupation in the Americas. One site that places South American timing in the pre-Clovis period is Monte Verde II in Chile. This site, however, was mostly only studied by a single group, meaning that replication of the dating has been lacking. Surovell et al. independently examined the site using current approaches and a broader scope and concluded that the site could not be older than 8200 years, significantly younger than the previously determined 14,500 years (see the Perspective by Rech). —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 192814917
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: A mid-Holocene age for Monte Verde challenges the timeline of human colonization of South America.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Surovell%2C+Todd+A%2E%22">Surovell, Todd A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Méndez%2C+César%22">Méndez, César</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22García%2C+Juan-Luis%22">García, Juan-Luis</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lüthgens%2C+Christopher%22">Lüthgens, Christopher</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thompson%2C+Jay+M%2E%22">Thompson, Jay M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Latorre%2C+Claudio%22">Latorre, Claudio</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 3/19/2026, Vol. 391 Issue 6791, p1283-1288. 6p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Holocene+Epoch%22">Holocene Epoch</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Radiocarbon+dating%22">Radiocarbon dating</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Continents%22">Continents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Colonization%22">Colonization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Volcanic+ash%2C+tuff%2C+etc%2E%22">Volcanic ash, tuff, etc.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Archaeological+chronology%22">Archaeological chronology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermoluminescence+dating%22">Thermoluminescence dating</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Archaeological+site+location%22">Archaeological site location</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+America%22">South America</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chile%22">Chile</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Our understanding of the timing of the human colonization of South America has been anchored by the Monte Verde II site in Chile, reported to date to ~14,500 years before the present (B.P.) and regarded as one of the most secure pre-Clovis archeological sites. We report the first independent investigation of Monte Verde in the nearly 50 years since initial excavations. We argue that radiocarbon and luminescence dates from alluvial exposures, in combination with the identification of a tephra dated to 11,000 years B.P. stratigraphically underlying the archaeological component, suggest that Monte Verde cannot be older than the Middle Holocene (8200 to 4200 years B.P.). With colonization no longer anchored by Monte Verde, our revised chronology supports a more recent date of human arrival to South America. Editor's summary: There is much debate surrounding the dates of human occupation in the Americas. One site that places South American timing in the pre-Clovis period is Monte Verde II in Chile. This site, however, was mostly only studied by a single group, meaning that replication of the dating has been lacking. Surovell et al. independently examined the site using current approaches and a broader scope and concluded that the site could not be older than 8200 years, significantly younger than the previously determined 14,500 years (see the Perspective by Rech). —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192814917
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1126/science.adw9217
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 6
        StartPage: 1283
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Holocene Epoch
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Radiocarbon dating
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Continents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Colonization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Volcanic ash, tuff, etc.
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Archaeological chronology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermoluminescence dating
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Archaeological site location
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: South America
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chile
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A mid-Holocene age for Monte Verde challenges the timeline of human colonization of South America.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Surovell, Todd A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Méndez, César
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: García, Juan-Luis
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lüthgens, Christopher
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thompson, Jay M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Latorre, Claudio
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 19
              M: 03
              Text: 3/19/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00368075
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 391
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6791
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Science
              Type: main
ResultId 1