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| Figure 1: Children's Footprints in Giant Sloth Footprint |
Archaeology is the study of people in the past, including their cultural traditions, values, beliefs, and behaviors. More often than not archaeology focuses on the lives of adults. There are various reasons for this, including the control adults have in creating, forming, and transmitting culture throughout generations. It is also easier to gain access to evidence related to and/or created by adults, leading to another reason why they are focused on in the archaeological record. This does not mean, however, that studies of the archaeology of children are completely ignored. Due to the difficulties in accessing those data these studies are often more difficult to complete, but when they are done they provide us greater insights into children and childhoods across the ages. This blog post will discuss one such study in relation to very early human children here in North America.
The White Sands National Park site in New Mexico is now understood to be a very fruitful location for understanding early human life in the Americas. Beginning in 2017 footprint expert Matthew Bennett from Bournemouth University (United Kingdom) began discovering various types of footprints throughout the area. These included footprints from various megafauna, such as giant sloths, as well as those of humans.
One of his most recent discoveries was a set of footprints of three to five small children found within a larger footprint of a giant ground sloth (Figure 1). The composition and placement of the footprints intrigued Bennett and his team for several reasons. First, their existence demonstrated that the environment had previously been far more wet than it is today (as the region is now a desert). It also showed that humans and megafauna coexisted at least 11,500 years ago. More importantly, though, Bennett interpreted the footprints to have been made by children playing in a mud puddle. This conclusion is remarkable because it demonstrates that carefree living among children is not a recent cultural phenomenon but one that spans generations over thousands of years.
Unfortunately, this information has not been formally published by Bennett and his team yet, but it may be part of a larger study of various types of human adults’ and children’s footprints found throughout the site. Previously discovered footprint of an adult and child showed them walking side by side throughout the area, providing greater insights into life in the region.
This information, however, is not without criticism. There are concerns about the 11,500-year-old date attached to the children’s footprints. This date pushes back the previously established date of humans’ arrival in the Americas. The exact period of arrival has and continues to be widely debated within the archaeological community, but the radiometric dates acquired from seeds and plant remains within the giant sloth’s foot provide that date. Hopefully, Bennett and his team formally publish their research on this and related discoveries so as to provide greater insights into early life among human children and help resolve the peopling of Americas debate.
Bibliography
Barras, Colin. "Ancient footprints show children splashed in puddles 11,500 years ago." New Scientist 6 April 2022. Electronic.
Bennett, Matthew, et al. PBS News Hour: Ancient footprints in New Mexico raise questions about when humans inhabited North America Stephanie Sy. 4 April 2022.
Savitsky, Zack. "Ancient human playground found inside sloth footprints." Science 13 April 2022. Electronic.
8 comments:
Khalil Foster. I think human children have always been care free. Kids have to mature and be taught to be aware of their surroundings.
I did not realize that archaeologist had fossils of children remains until our class lecture and this blog post. From what I have learned so far, they tend to study and report on adult fossil findings since they are easier to deal with than children fossils. It’s pleasant to see how the children back then had a jaunty nature to the how the children are today, that they found through their footprint indicating that they were playing in a mud puddle. By publishing hopefully other archaeologist can assist in adding to more research about the children in the ancient past.
Being able to identify cultural habits, or traits children tend to have based on footprints shows the value of anthropology. Without reading this article I wouldn’t know the importance of ancient findings or value like Mathew Bennett has made.
Sabthana R.
Anthropology is one of the most interesting and wonderful studies there is out there. To be able to discover something monumental like a child's footprint from at least 11,500 years ago and have the opportunity to share that many many years later, with future generations. It physically shows the people that were here before us, showing us where they journeyed.
This study was very intriguing the fact there is a possibility that humans and megafauna may have coexisted is a very interesting discovery. Children and adult footprints may give greater insight into the culture's past as well.
Sometimes I forget the study is not just on bones but prints as well such as this reading about children footprints. This was interesting to learn about and to see how far back the date traced for these footprints. It is cool to learn that they are able to tell about how early life among human children may have been.
-Keira Robinson
Your exploration of the archaeology of children and the insights gained from studying their lives throughout history is both enlightening and thought-provoking. The focus on understanding early human children at the White Sands National Park site in New Mexico provides a fascinating glimpse into the past and sheds light on the interactions between humans and megafauna over 11,500 years ago.
-Ahmesha Johnson
I have found this Blog to be a great example of the importance of children's footprints and traces of their lives as a subject of study in archaeology. Often, archaeology focuses on adults who have a great influence on the formation and transmission of culture, but this discovery in White Sands National Park is an interesting glimpse into what life and play were like for children in the past.
I am particularly moved by the footprints, which are thought to have been made during mud play, showing that play and innocent behavior were common among human children thousands of years ago. The fact that the footprints are dated to 11,500 years ago may also provide a new perspective to the debate about the timing of human arrival in the Americas. I hope that Bennett and his team will now officially publish their findings, which will further our understanding of the lives of ancient children and the human history of the Americas.
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