Science Bulletins: New Digs Expose Early Americans

Most archaeological evidence of early human occupation of the Americas is found in the interior of the continent. However, in recent years archaeologists have been exploring the hypothesis that the first American settlers who entered via the Bering land bridge in Alaska hugged the west coast on their migration to South America. Two coastal dig sites have recently yielded artifacts that resemble those of East Asia. Whether these sites are remains of a coastal migration from East Asia to South America—or show that inland communities moved and adapted to the coast—is still under debate. Scientists are continuing to search for additional older artifacts in the coastal region.