Challengers to Clovis-age impact theory missed key protocols, new study finds

Eurekalert! ^ | September 17, 2012 | Jim Barlow, U of Oregon

[SunkenCiv]

An interdisciplinary team of scientists from seven U.S. institutions says a disregard of three critical protocols, including sorting samples by size, explains why a group challenging the theory of a North American meteor-impact event some 12,900 years ago failed to find iron- and silica-rich magnetic particles in the sites they investigated.

Not separating samples of the materials into like-sized groupings made for an avoidable layer of difficulty, said co-author Edward K. Vogel, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon.

The new independent analysis -- published this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- did, in fact, isolate large quantities of the "microspherules" at the involved sites where the challengers previously reported none. Lead author Malcolm A. LeCompte, an astrophysicist at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, said the findings support the climate-altering cosmic impact, but his team stopped short of declaring this as proof of the event.

The Clovis-age cosmic-impact theory was proposed in 2007 by a 26-member team led by Richard B. Firestone. That team included University of Oregon archaeologists Douglas J. Kennett and Jon M. Erlandson. While other groups have found corroborating evidence of a potential cosmic event, other groups reported difficulties doing so. One group, led by Todd A Surovell of the University of Wyoming, did not find any microspherule evidence at five of seven sites they tested, including two previously studied locations where Firestone reported large numbers of microspherules.

[SunkenCiv]

Additional article:

Topper site in middle of comet controversy by Peggy Binette -- Albert Goodyear, an archaeologist in USC's College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-author on the study that upholds a 2007 PNAS study by Richard Firestone, a staff scientist at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Firestone found concentrations of spherules (micro-sized balls) of metals and nano-sized diamonds in a layer of sediment dating 12,900 years ago at 10 of 12 archaeological sites that his team examined. The mix of particles is thought to be the result of an extraterrestrial object, such as a comet or meteorite, exploding in the earth's atmosphere. Among the sites examined was USC's Topper, one of the most pristine U.S. sites for research on Clovis, one of the earliest ancient peoples.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Those bastards in the MSM will never cover this.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Renfield for this one in FReepmail: New study shows Clovis-age impact theory is still possible -- Past Horizons -- The new analysis did, in fact, isolate large quantities of the "microspherules" at the involved sites where the challengers previously reported none. Lead author Malcolm A. LeCompte, an astrophysicist at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, said the findings support the climate-altering cosmic impact, but his team have still stopped short of declaring this as proof of the event.

This scanning electron microscope image shows a magnetic impact spherule likely to have been created by an asteroid or comet impact 12,900 years ago, researchers say. CREDIT: Israde et al. (2012)

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
The debate is over! :') Seriously, the debunkers have been exposed as either grossly incompetent or prevaricators -- either way, they can't be trusted as researchers. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[SunkenCiv]

Good point!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2934167/posts?page=2#2

[muawiyah]

Good news!

A thought ~ where did all the Aztec gold come from?

The Spanish found plenty of silver but little gold ~ except that which had already been acquired by the Indians. Which Indians is also a good question.

As DeSoto moved North from the Gulf of Mexico he asked the Indians where to find gold. They'd point further North.

Just so happens that was the correct and only answer ~

[bigheadfred]

there may be inherent limitations in human faculties that needed to be addressed

giggle

[scrabblehack]

Is it Clovis NM? That’s near Roswell, isn’t it?

[Little Bill]

Something happened that gave us fresh frozen Mammoth, ain't global warming.

[muawiyah]

Clovis is where strange (European type) spearpoints were found ~ later on numerous sites with these same points were found ~ Clovis was actually one of the later sites to have been created by the ancient Clovis culture (who probably derive from European stock)

The comet or meteor seems to have destroyed most of them ~

you want to see some really nice Clovis points visit almost any of these traveling gun shows. There are always a few dealers around who scatter Clovis points among the pistols they have for sale.

I found one guy who had no idea what they were worth but just the day before I"d been reading the collectors catalog for arrowheads and spear points and this guy had several point lying about worth well over $10,000 each. He'd been unaware they had value but he could see how they could attract thieves at these shows.

[Vermont Lt]

Where are the diamonds? I want diamonds.

[null and void]

Something happened that gave us fresh frozen Mammoth, ain't global warming.

The mammoths liked to feed in the periglacial areas. By being right up against the glaciers the were shielded from the north winds, and the face of the glacier reflected sunlight back into the ground. The area near the glacier was much warmer than the surrounding tundra. It was well watered with melt water, and the soil was rich in minerals from the glacial till, and as loose as a well tended garden. Plants that are now exclusively tropical were better adapted to cold and variable day length.

Soooo, a mammoth feeds in the richest local environment, right up next to the glacier, and suddenly there's an avalanche instantly pounding the mammoth into the dirt and packing it in ice...

[Graewoulf]

Thanks for this thread.

[Little Bill]

That is a BOLO answer, near the ice it was very cold, F’n cold, but since, I suspect you left off the /s you are pulling my crank.

[null and void]

It’s cold everywhere. At least in the summer with the sun reflecting off the ice and the north wind blocked it’s a bit like a natural greenhouse near the edge.

[Little Bill]

What is the concentration of large Herbivores near Glacial Mastiffs, I am going to bed.

[ForGod'sSake]

I haven’t read anything anywhere that remotely supports your points. Are you stating facts backed up by non cited sources or are you stating opinions?

[null and void]

I’m stating an opinion of mine, based on what I think might have happened. Please read nothing more into it than a layman’s hypothesis.

Perhaps it’s even true, I’d love for someone actually skilled in the art to see if it is plausible and can be tested.

It would certainly explain why one mammoth was found with a mouth full of marigolds and a broken back!

[gleeaikin]

Has anyone encountered additional studies on the “black mat” that Firestone’s group wrote about?