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Calico: A 200,000-year Old Site In The Americas?
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Posted on 12/17/2001 2:22:22 PM PST by blam

Calico: A 200,000-year old site in the Americas?

New World archaeological sites inferred to be even slightly older than the 11.5 ka Clovis complexes have been controversial; so claims for a 200 ka site in North America have heretofore been treated with substantial disdain. But the acceptance of Monte Verde and Diring may soon change that.

The classic "ancient site" in the New World is "Calico," located in the Central Mojave Desert of California (Shlemon and Budinger, 1990). Two issues have dogged acceptance of Calico by mainstream archaeologists: (1) the authenticity of the artifacts; are they truly the product of human manufacture, or merely naturally produced "geofacts?" and (2) the obvious pre-Clovis age of the deposits (see, for example, lengthy discussions in Leakey and others, 1968; Haynes, 1973; Bryan, 1978; Taylor and Payen, 1975; Carter, 1980; Meighen, 1983; Patterson, 1983; and Budinger and Simpson, 1985).

Thought to be about 200 ka old, the deeply buried chert and chalcedony tools of Calico are usually dismissed as being artifacts. However, if shown to respected Old World archaeologists, many Calico assemblages are readily described as typical Paleolithic implements. Regardless, when told that the ancient tools come from the New World, these same archaeologists then often reject their original interpretation! So much for unbiased reasoning in science! Nevertheless, although it will take time, the pre-Clovis Monte Verde site in Chile and the 260 ka Diring site in Siberia may well provide a "stepping stone" for mainstream archaeological acceptance of the Calico site.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: California
KEYWORDS: acrossatlanticice; americaneden; americanorigin; americas; ancientnavigation; archaeology; artifacts; australia; bering; brucebradley; calico; california; clovis; dennisstanford; dillehay; diringsite; dna; geofacts; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; history; mojavedesert; mtdna; multiregionalism; nagpra; navigation; neandertal; paleolithic; paleontology; preclovis; precolumbian; primates; replacement; siberia; solutrean; solutreans; tomdillehay; youngerdryas
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To: LostTribe
"I think you are behind the times on this one, blam. Go to any world-class conference on this subject and see most of the pioneering anthros distancing themselves from the old Darwinian theories and old texts and moving the dividing line up to ~10,000 years ago and closer."

For a new species of human? Point me in the direction of just one. You know me. Shoot, I'll check it out.

41 posted on 12/18/2001 8:18:17 AM PST by blam
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To: MarkWar
"I think it makes for a more entertaining view of the past to think that the "super continent" -- call it Pangaea, whatever -- existed into almost historic times. If this is so, then it explains how a _single_ flood could have inundated the "entire earth." Because if the continents were merged during prehistory, then a single catastrophe could have affected everyone."

That's way to big a leap for me. The geology of the earth does not support it. The continents continue to move today at about the same rate that your fingernails grow.

42 posted on 12/18/2001 8:23:12 AM PST by blam
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To: blam
Latest hominid theory would classify these tool makers as homo erectus. Since this creature wandered the planet for around a million years I've always wondered why scientists were so sure they couldn't get here.
43 posted on 12/18/2001 8:34:41 AM PST by Righty1
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To: blam
I do believe this. I'm a catastrophist

Better than a dogmatist.

44 posted on 12/18/2001 8:53:07 AM PST by RightWhale
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To: blam
>You know me. Shoot, I'll check it out.

Of that I am positive.~ggg~ Am straying out of my field of interest with this one, but I'll see what I can come up with after the relatives leave...

45 posted on 12/18/2001 10:47:15 AM PST by LostTribe
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To: Rooper

 

TIME UPSIDE DOWN
Dr. Erich von Fange Ph.D.

Part 7


Footprints Tell Tales

Handprints and footprints have held a fascination since ancient times. Paintings and rock carvings of these representations are found in many parts of the world. On rare occasions footprints are found or uncovered in rock strata. For such prints to form in the first place, they must be rapidly covered or they will erode away from wind and water action. From time to time human prints have been reported in strange places. Understandably, paleontologists are not interested in considering the possibility of human prints in formations they believe to be older than the emergence of man.

One paleontologist warned his colleagues about the extraordinary forms that 'false' prints may take. He described a print found in Triassic rock. It appeared to be the fossilized leather sole of a shoe, about size 13, which showed a double line of sewed stitches, one line close to the outside edge and the other parallel at a distance of about a third of an inch. The edges of the sole were rounded off smoothly as if cut, and the right side of the heel seems to be more worn than the left (Victoria Institute , 1948, 80:21-22).

Another unusual find was reported in newspapers in 1968, but geologists had no comment about it. A sandal footprint of an adult and the footprints of a child were found embedded in strata right on top of trilobite fossils. This is a Cambrian deposit near Antelope Springs, Utah (See Table 1: Q). Photographs have been published of these finds, but more evaluation is needed.


This find must be classed as very inconclusive, tempting as it may appear (CRSQ, 1968, 5:3, p.97).
In the American Journal of Science a number of references to footprints in rock strata are discussed and reproduced, such as the following: Human impressions were reported in various locations in South America, but details are lacking...Human footprints in a limestone slab in a paved area between a house and garden in New Harmony, Indiana...A rock outcrop extending for three miles in front of St. Louis, Missouri, one to 200 feet wide, was observed during low water stages. The large number of human footprints there were noted already by early French explorers. The prints are in crinoidal limestone. The prints are described as of a man standing erect with toes spread apart. They appeared strikingly natural with every muscular impression, and the swell of heel and toes. The print described was about 10 1/2 inches long. The observer contrasted these prints with obviously carved footprints he had observed elsewhere...Other prints were reported in a quarry at Herculaneum, Missouri, and on rocks near Kingston, New York (CRSQ , 1970, 7:4, p.205).

Footprints up to twenty inches long were found in sandstone near Carson City, Nevada. Some of the larger prints are very clear and well-defined and were reproduced in the American Journal of Science . While some argue that the prints were of humans, they were later identified as the prints of the giant sloth (Fort, 1941, p.159; Wendt, 1956, p.519-520).

The State Geologist of Kentucky performed extensive tests on footprints found near Berea. The prints were discovered when the overburden from a sandstone formation was removed in logging operations about 1930. One series of prints found included some arranged in a normal walking stride. Microscopic studies showed that the grain counts were greater in the soles than in the adjacent sandstone, showing greater compression within the print areas.

Distinct left and right foot impressions were found, each with five toes and with a distinct arch. The prints could not have been carved since some of the tracks were still partly covered by higher sandstone strata. Other prints have been reported in nearby areas, but further information is lacking (CRSQ , 1970, 7:4, p.207).

A shoeprint was discovered in a coal seam in Fisher Canyon, Pershing County, Nevada. The imprint of the sole is so clear that traces of sewed thread are visible. The age of the coal is estimated to be more than 15,000,000 years (Thomas, 1971, p.24).

Close by a lake near Managua, Nicaragua are perhaps the most famous footprints in the Americas. They lie under eleven strata of solid rock from 16-24 feet under the surface. Heated debate about the age of the prints has gone on for almost a century. Initially they were dated about 200,000 years old, but since the feet were perfectly modern the age was reduced to older than 50,000 years. The only geologist to visit the scene at the initial discovery also found traces of domesticated dogs and horses with the prints - an impossible situation to resolve.

Polished stone artifacts and projectile points were also discovered. The prints are now dated at about 3000 B.C. on the basis of C14 tests, but this forces a considerable number of catastrophic events in a very short time period. Since various fossilized animal bones and mastodon remains have been found in strata above the human prints, the conclusion then is forced that the mastodon lived into very recent times. Near the city of San Raphael other human and animal tracks were found, including a sandal print which is now in the museum at Harvard (Victoria Institute , 1886, 22:148-152; Archaeology , 26 [April 1973], 146-147).

Near Glen Rose, Texas, the river bed of the Paluxy river is still revealing the astonishing sight of what apparently is human and dinosaur tracks together in stone. The rock formation is the Cretaceous. In 1970, James Ryals, who had been cutting out tracks and selling them since the 1930s, was interviewed. He reported the human tracks as mostly barefooted, but sometimes encased in some form of wrapping. The stride varied from two to seven feet. There are human tracks crossing dinosaur tracks, and dinosaur tracks which have blotted out human tracks in sequence.

Excavation of tracks show a compressed layer pattern underneath as one would expect if they are genuine. A scientist who did not examine the evidence ruled out the possibility that the tracks were human. A professor of medicine from the Unversity of Illinois examined the tracks and was convinced that they were genuine (CRSQ , 1970, 7:3, p.142; 1970, 7:4, p.246; Ryals, undated). Some years later at least some of the supposed human tracks were definitely shown to be dinosaur tracks. In the past 20 years many additional discoveries have been made to add to the controversy. Many books and articles treat these finds, both for and against their authenticity.

We must say that reports of footprints call for the utmost caution. Many people are imaginative creatures and with a little effort they can see almost anything patterned in worn rocks. Some rocks erode in a curious manner which could leave depressions much like footprints. No one questions the dinosaur footprints, however. The topic is too fascinating to pass by. Perhaps new finds will clarify the situation.

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46 posted on 12/19/2001 2:37:44 AM PST by Texas Yellow Rose
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To: blam;Gods, Graves, Glyphs;
More good stuff!

To find all articles tagged or indexed using 'Gods, Graves, Glyphs'

Click here: 'Gods, Graves, Glyphs'

47 posted on 01/07/2002 10:42:51 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Texas Yellow Rose
Simple explanation. The universe is largely unknown. Humans have the propensity to believe they are the end all-be all. Infallable, as it were. Give us a task and we can figure it out. Consider this: an unknown number of people disappear every year. So do uncounted numbers of socks from dryers. A person is walking down a road, for example. Suddenly....poof! Gone! Where to? Perhaps, through a rip in the "fabric" of the known universe? To where? 70 million years past? His/her prints are found along with dino tracks. Eventually, unable to return "home", time traveling Robinson Crusoe passes on. Where's the body? Simple. T Rex is a very hungry creature who can run fast and eats every scrap. Anomaly solved! Next?
48 posted on 01/08/2002 6:55:04 PM PST by Thumper1960
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To: blam
I visted the Calico site several years ago. Easy to get to, it is interesting. Don't know if I believe the age or not.
49 posted on 01/10/2002 7:26:28 PM PST by DensaMensa
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To: DensaMensa
If this is in the vicinity of the "Calico Ghost Town", I used to be acquainted with a lady that grew up there. Her mother was a cook for a bunch of miner's when she was 15, and that was during the time a dog was used to deliver mail to the miners in the hills.
50 posted on 01/10/2002 7:38:10 PM PST by stumpy
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To: stumpy
"and that was during the time a dog was used to deliver mail to the miners in the hills."

Dang stumpy, how old are you? lol.

51 posted on 01/10/2002 8:12:10 PM PST by blam
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To: stumpy
>If this is in the vicinity of the "Calico Ghost Town"

Yes, pretty much the same thing. You probably saw the sign on the hill from the USMC depot at Barstow?

52 posted on 01/10/2002 8:31:22 PM PST by DensaMensa
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To: stumpy
My first job was at Calico in 1963. Worked as a guide at the "Haunted House" while going to high school in Barstow.
53 posted on 01/21/2002 5:12:40 PM PST by TruthWillWin
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To: DensaMensa
Calico is a few miles from the little town of Yermo.
54 posted on 01/21/2002 5:17:00 PM PST by TruthWillWin
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Comment #55 Removed by Moderator

To: blam
will soon see a "quiet revolution"

It will be a bitterly opposed revolution and will depend on young archaeologistswho are trying to make names for themselves because the older ones will fight bitterly to suppress any discoveries that question their own assumptions. Archaeologists are some of the very most "religious" of scientists in that for them all knowledge is "received" as with an original "revelation" that cannot be challenged but can only be elucidated.

56 posted on 04/14/2002 4:40:41 AM PDT by arthurus
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To: arthurus
"It will be a bitterly opposed revolution and will depend on young archaeologistswho are trying to make names for themselves because the older ones will fight bitterly to suppress any discoveries that question their own assumptions."

Yup. Archaeology/anthropology in the Americas are already in revolt. Monte Verde broke the mold....and if the underwater site (2200 ft) off the coast of Cuba proves to be human, the flood gates are open. (World history will be rewritten)

57 posted on 04/14/2002 5:01:13 AM PDT by blam
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To: blam
Please add me to your list. The 'Siberian' climate was not always harsh was it? Parts of Alaska like Fairbanks, is bog like when thawed, similar to a swamp.
58 posted on 06/29/2002 12:37:53 AM PDT by yoe
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To: blam
I would appreciate being added to yor ping list. Many thanks.

Albee

59 posted on 01/11/2003 5:29:28 PM PST by albee
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To: albee
A little late to the thread aren't you? This thread was started 12-17-2001. You're on the list.
60 posted on 01/11/2003 10:41:02 PM PST by blam
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