At
this time, in the Mexican highlands, people lived in small groups,
maybe 12 to 15 individuals representing a small extended family,
who survived by gathering plants with some big game hunting.
Early agriculture was starting to develop in more low lying
regions. In the Oxaca valley, the earliest cultivated plants
were likely from the squash family, including gourds and pumpkins.
A mummified body of a native American, excavated in 1940, but
only recently examined has turned out to be much older than
first believed. Radio carbon dating has placed the age of the
body at 7400 BC. Discovered during salvage excavations in advance
of a guano-mining project, in the US southwestern state of Nevada,
the mummy was found lying on a fur blanket dressed in a twisted
skin robe with leather moccasins on its feet and a twined mat
sewn around its head and shoulders. A similar mat was wrapped
around the lower portion of the body and bound under the feet.
Skin remained on the back and shoulders as well as a small tuft
of straight dark hair, which changed to reddish-brown when exposed
to light and air. The man may have died from complications associated
with a skull fracture or abscessed teeth, according to the forensic
scientist who examined the body. Fifty-eight other fibre and
fur artifacts were found in the cave, including two bags containing
cremated human remains. The style of weaving used in the textiles,
known as diamond-plaited matting, marks the earliest stage in
North American weaving technology. People were more settled
than has been thought, since it would have taken a considerable
length of time to gather the fibres and weave them into mats.
This case also adds to the controversy of the collection of
bodies from native American burial sites. Many feel it is disrespectful
to disturb human remains for any reason. Some archaeologists
now try to avoid disturbing graves when investigating a dig
site, and if a body is found accidentally, the dig is halted
and plans altered. In the past this was not done. While archaeologists
would never think of digging up a graveyard (except for rare
emergencies), native American burial sites were plundered without
thought. To this day, there are hundreds of native American
bodies stored in museum basements around the world, forgotten.
Important knowledge can be gained from ancient burial sites.
But if they are investigated, it must be done carefully and
with respect, both for the dead and for their living descendants.
25
years ago / 50 years ago
/ 80 years ago / 125
years ago / 150 years ago
250 years ago / 400
years ago / 700 years ago
/ 1,200 years ago
1,500 years ago / 2,000
years ago / 4,000 years
ago / 10,000 years ago
