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Contesting early archaeology in California

Nature volume 554, pages E1–E2 (2018)Cite this article

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ARISING FROM S. R. Holen et al. Nature 544, 479–483 (2017); doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22065

The peopling of the Americas is a topic of ongoing scientific interest and rigorous debate1,2. Holen et al.3 add to these discussions with their recent report of a 130,000-year-old archaeological site in southern California, USA: the Cerutti Mastodon (CM) site, which includes the fragmentary remains of a single mastodon (Mammut americanum), spatially associated stone cobbles, and associated lithic debris that they claim indicates prehistoric hominin activity. In sharp contrast, we contend that the CM record is more parsimoniously explained as the result of common geological and taphonomic processes, and does not indicate prehistoric hominin involvement. Whereas further investigations may yet identify unambiguous evidence of hominins in California around 130,000 years ago, we urge caution in interpreting the current record. There is a Reply to this Comment by Holen, S. R. et al. Nature 554, doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25166 (2018).

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Figure 1: Fractured proboscidean bones from WMNM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology and Institute of Archaeology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA

    Joseph V. Ferraro, Katie M. Binetti & Lori E. Baker

  2. Department of Geosciences, Terrestrial Paleoclimatology Research Group, and Institute of Archaeology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA

    Logan A. Wiest, Donald Esker & Steven L. Forman

Authors
  1. Joseph V. Ferraro
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  2. Katie M. Binetti
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  3. Logan A. Wiest
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  4. Donald Esker
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  5. Lori E. Baker
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  6. Steven L. Forman
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Contributions

J.V.F., K.M.B. and S.L.F. conceived the project; J.V.F., K.M.B., L.A.W., D.E. and L.E.B. interpreted the taphonomic record; S.L.F interpreted the geological record; J.V.F. and S.L.F. interpreted the lithic technology record; J.V.F. photographed the WMNM mammoth bones; L.A.W. created the figures; J.V.F., K.M.B. and S.L.F. wrote the manuscript; J.V.F., K.M.B., S.L.F., L.A.W., D.E. and L.E.B. edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph V. Ferraro.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Ferraro, J., Binetti, K., Wiest, L. et al. Contesting early archaeology in California. Nature 554, E1–E2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25165

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