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"The new study says that thermoluminscence testing of the hearthstones showed that they "were heated independently from the stones found outside the hearths in the same layer; thus, refuting the possibility that the stones were heated by natural fires".

Seems to indicate the Charcoal was not due to natural causes. If the area around the cave site lacked any forests at the time the charcoal was dated, i.e. was a dry period, it seems unlikely the source was a natural forest fire.

This cave site has been the focus of much discussion and dissention in paleoanthropology.

The "African Eve" theory postulates that modern Homo sapiens moved out of the Horn of Africa into the Yemen around 80,000 years ago, moved along the southern shores of Asia to Australia by 60,000 years ago. These figures could indicate a human presence in SOuth America prior to that date which is questionable if movement occurred only in an easterly direction out of Africa.

On the other hand, a reconstruction of an ancient dated skull from South America bears African features, as do the Olmec Stone Heads of Central America and some South American tribes today and some of the Eastern Woodland Tribes of North America had Caucasoid features. The Solutrean points of western Europe are similar to Clovis points. Its possible that early modern man moved into the Americas simultaneously from several origin points. People consistently appaer to underestimate the abilities of early man to move around and accomplish things. They lived in a far more hostile environment than ours and must have been just as bright as we are, prehaps more so in their ability to utilze their environment to best advantage - or we wouldn't be here reading this.