Early-Entry Model

Science and Technology

Many scholars have begun to point to archaeological sites that pre-date Clovis-age sites. The Early-Entry Model, which purports to explain this phenomenon, has not converged on one theory, but rather encompasses a multiplicity of theories, the common denominator of which is the fact that they show Asiatic peoples arriving in North America earlier than 11,500 years ago.

Unlike the Clovis-First Model, the Early-Entry Model proposes that the Americas may have been peopled by several waves of migration occurring over an extended period of time. Proponents of the Early-Entry Model refute the Clovis-First Model by pointing to the fact that the synchronous projectile points that lie at the heart of the waning theory have not been found in Siberia, and that points found in the United States are older than those found to the north. This, they believe, refutes the concept of one continuous southward migration.

One fascinating archaeological dig, which is integral to the doubts being raised about the Clovis-First Model, can be found at Monte Verde, Chile. Even as far south as Chile, scientists have unearthed a civilization from 12,500 years ago, which was exquisitely preserved under peat deposits. The rare finds from Monte Verde include house structures, lances, digging sticks and mortars all made of wood, medicinal plants, chunks of meat, stone tools and human foot prints.