A man buried in USA in the Ancient North America era
The Anzick Site in the USA is an archaeological site of immense historical and cultural significance, offering profound insights into the prehistoric Clovis culture of North America. Located in western Montana, near the town of Wilsall, the site gained prominence after the discovery of ancient human remains and a collection of sophisticated stone tools and artifacts.
Discovery and Location
Discovered in 1968 on the Anzick family ranch, the Anzick site has been radiocarbon dated to approximately 12,600 years ago, making it one of the oldest known burial sites in North America. Its significance was further amplified by the realization that it contains the only known Clovis burial in the world, named after the Clovis culture known for its distinctive stone tools.
Archaeological Significance
The site comprises the remains of a young child, known as Anzick-1. The burial was accompanied by an array of more than 100 stone and bone tools. The tools, made from locally sourced materials, showcase the hallmark fluted projectile points that characterize the Clovis technology. These tools were delicately crafted with high-skilled precision, revealing a complex understanding of lithic technology.
Genetic and Anthropological Insights
One of the most groundbreaking aspects of the Anzick site is the genetic material obtained from the Anzick-1 remains. DNA analysis has shown that the remains are closely related to present-day Native American populations, providing strong evidence for the \Beringian Standstill" hypothesis, which suggests that the ancestors of Native Americans remained isolated in Beringia for thousands of years before migrating into the Americas.
This genetic link has provided invaluable information regarding migration patterns and the peopling of the Americas, establishing a connection between early and contemporary Native American groups. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis indicates that the Anzick child belonged to haplogroup D4h3a, a lineage present in modern Native American groups along the Pacific Coast and in Central and South America.
Cultural Context
The Clovis culture, named after the Clovis, New Mexico site where similar artifacts were first discovered, is considered one of the earliest widespread human cultures in North America. The culture thrived during the late Pleistocene epoch and is distinguished by its use of the Clovis point, a type of projectile point used for hunting large game.
Evidence from the Anzick site suggests that the Clovis people were not merely adept hunters but also engaged in ceremonial practices, as implied by the burial context and the presence of ochre, often associated with ritual activity. The inclusion of finely crafted tools in the burial suggests a form of social or spiritual significance attributed to the individual, possibly indicating early forms of social stratification or community practices regarding death and remembrance.
Environmental Context
The Anzick site is surrounded by the Rocky Mountain front, with a rich array of flora and fauna indicative of the late Pleistocene environment. During this era, the climate was transitioning from the colder, glacial conditions of the Ice Age to a warmer, more temperate climate, which led to the vast changes in landscapes and ecosystems, including the extinction of several megafauna species like mammoths and mastodons, which were part of the diet of the Clovis people.
Preservation and Legacy
The Anzick site provides vital information about early human life in North America. It has sparked extensive debate and research within the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and genetics. Interdisciplinary studies stemming from this site continue to influence our understanding of early human migration, societal development, and adaptation to changing environments.
Efforts have been made to preserve the site and artifacts, ensuring they remain accessible for future research and educational purposes. The finds have enhanced appreciation for the depth and complexity of prehistoric cultures in North America, highlighting the role archaeology plays in connecting us to our distant past.
In summary, the Anzick Site offers a window into the life and culture of the early inhabitants of North America, their technologies, practices, and genetic legacy, making it a crucial landmark in the study of prehistoric human history."
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (Anzick) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (Anzick) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.
These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.
The G25 coordinates for the sample Anzick are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
Anzick,0.05574396,-0.30021466,0.10701236,0.09437672,-0.10556988,-0.00907068,-0.27801328,-0.32809654,-0.01380292,-0.0184403,0.00284964,-0.00085568,0.00070076,0.0207491,-0.00682858,-4.666E-05,0.00543232,0.0035098,-0.00074508,-0.00361136,-0.00131446,0.0082994,-0.00444788,-0.00329308,-0.00458445
The genome of a Late Pleistocene human from a Clovis burial site in western Montana
Clovis, with its distinctive biface, blade and osseous technologies, is the oldest widespread archaeological complex defined in North America, dating from 11,100 to 10,700 (14)C years before present (bp) (13,000 to 12,600 calendar years bp). Nearly 50 years of archaeological research point to the Clovis complex as having developed south of the North American ice sheets from an ancestral technology. However, both the origins and the genetic legacy of the people who manufactured Clovis tools remain under debate. It is generally believed that these people ultimately derived from Asia and were directly related to contemporary Native Americans. An alternative, Solutrean, hypothesis posits that the Clovis predecessors emigrated from southwestern Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum. Here we report the genome sequence of a male infant (Anzick-1) recovered from the Anzick burial site in western Montana. The human bones date to 10,705 ± 35 (14)C years bp (approximately 12,707-12,556 calendar years bp) and were directly associated with Clovis tools. We sequenced the genome to an average depth of 14.4× and show that the gene flow from the Siberian Upper Palaeolithic Mal'ta population into Native American ancestors is also shared by the Anzick-1 individual and thus happened before 12,600 years bp. We also show that the Anzick-1 individual is more closely related to all indigenous American populations than to any other group. Our data are compatible with the hypothesis that Anzick-1 belonged to a population directly ancestral to many contemporary Native Americans. Finally, we find evidence of a deep divergence in Native American populations that predates the Anzick-1 individual.