14 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The oldest trace of human activity discovered in North America dates back 23,000 years

A recent fossil footprint found in New Mexico, the United States, indicates that humans existed in North America about 23,000 years ago.

The footprints have been found in the soil in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. The US Geological Survey experts have examined the top and bottom layers of the track with the help of radiocarbon dating and found that footprints were formed here during about two thousand years.

Bournemouth University has shared information on the astounding finding of human existence. Until recently, it was thought that humans first appeared on the American continent between 13 and 16 thousand years ago, but new discovery reveals that Homo sapiens arrived considerably earlier, around 23 thousand years ago. This latest discovery is being considered a major archaeological success in the United States.

Dating was done by Drs Jeff Pigati and Kathleen Springer of the US Geological Survey. Kathleen Springer on the subject, “Our dates on the seeds are tightly clustered and maintain stratigraphic order above and below multiple footprint horizons – this was a remarkable outcome.” This corresponds to the height of the last glacial cycle, during something known as the Last Glacial Maximum, and makes them the oldest known human footprints in the Americas,” she said.

Showing the different “time periods” of the last ice age, and before the sand dunes formed, White Sands would have looked like a mix of grasslands and wetlands surrounding the great ancient Lake Otero. Karen Carr
Showing the different “time periods” of the last ice age, and before the sand dunes formed, White Sands would have looked like a mix of grasslands and wetlands surrounding the great ancient Lake Otero. Karen Carr

The footprints tell a fascinating story about life at the period, with the tracks mostly made by teens and younger children, with the rare adult judged by their size. There are also mammoth, gigantic ground sloth, dire wolves, and bird tracks at the site.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The tracks at White Sands were first discovered by David Bustos Resources Manager at the National Park. The team also pioneered non-invasive geophysical techniques to help locate the site.

Tommy Urban, from Cornell University, said, “Detection and imaging with non-destructive technology have greatly expanded our capacity to study these remarkable footprints in their broader context”.

Human Footprints. NPS Photo

Previously, it was assumed that people arrived in America considerably later, following the melting of the North American ice sheets, which opened up migration routes. However, the imprints now suggest that people arrived in the Americas far earlier.

Professor Vance Holliday of the University of Arizona said, “There has been a lot of debate over many years about the first peopling of the Americas with several early sites identified.  Few archaeologists see reliable evidence for sites older than about 16,000 years. The White Sands tracks provide a much earlier date.”  

The research is published in Science.

The research was undertaken by researchers from Bournemouth University, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Cornell University, and the University of Arizona.

Bournemouth University

Related Articles

A Rare Ancient Saber Discovered in Kyrgyzstan

5 August 2023

5 August 2023

An ancient saber (heavy military sword with a long cutting edge and, often, a curved blade) was found by three...

Archaeologists Unearthed a 1000-year-old Medieval Game Collection in a Castle in Southern Germany

4 June 2024

4 June 2024

Archaeologists found a collection of medieval game pieces at a forgotten castle in southern Germany. Among the discoveries are a...

Viennese Archaeologists Find LEGIO XIII GEMINA Bricks

1 February 2024

1 February 2024

The fourth oldest school in Vienna, the Kindermanngasse Elementary School, is being completely renovated. As part of the renovation of...

1500-year-old Elite tombs were discovered vicinity of the ancient seaport of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Polish archaeologists have discovered a tomb complex near the ancient port of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt. Archaeologists from the University...

The Oldest “Book” of Europe: Derveni Papyrus

4 September 2022

4 September 2022

The Derveni papyrus is considered Europe’s oldest legible manuscript still in existence today. It is an ancient Greek papyrus roll...

Archaeologists Unearth Rare Artifacts from the First Turkic Khaganate in the Altai Mountains

15 September 2025

15 September 2025

Archaeologists from Altai State University and their international colleagues have made a groundbreaking discovery in Russia’s Altai Republic, unearthing artifacts...

A former Spanish disco-pub confirmed as lost medieval Synagogue

11 February 2023

11 February 2023

In the Andalucian city of Utrera, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 14th-century synagogue. The discovery, made public on...

Archaeologists Discover Roman-Era Industrial Settlement at Future Bilmer Berg II Business Park in Germany

2 October 2025

2 October 2025

At first glance, the sandy field near the B209 road does not appear remarkable. Yet for archaeologists, the site in...

Baptismal font from the Ottonian period discovered: Oldest evidence of a quatrefoil-shaped basin north of the Alps

19 March 2024

19 March 2024

The site of a font of the medieval Ottonian dynasty, from the tenth century, has been discovered in the crypt...

5,200-year-old stone carving silkworm chrysalis discovered in north China

19 July 2022

19 July 2022

According to the provincial archaeological research institute, archaeologists discovered a stone-carved silkworm chrysalis dating back at least 5,200 years in...

Roman girl adorned with 1800-year-old jewelry found in a lead coffin on Mount Scopus

9 April 2023

9 April 2023

“After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and the exodus of the Jewish population, late Roman Jerusalem—renamed Aelia Capitolina—had a...

2000-year-old quarry discovered in Jerusalem that could be the source of Second temple stones

5 September 2021

5 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old quarry in Har Hotzvim, now an industrial park in Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority said...

Divine Punishment or Human Theft? 4,000-Year-Old Relief Missing from Egypt’s ‘Cursed’ Tomb

9 October 2025

9 October 2025

A haunting mystery is unfolding in Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis, where a 4,000-year-old limestone relief has vanished from one of the...

Archaeologists unearth orchestra floor in Black Sea Region’s Ephesus

10 December 2021

10 December 2021

During continuing excavations in the northwestern province of Düzce, archaeologists discovered the orchestra floor of the theater area in the...

Rare Ceremonial Knives Offering Discovered in the Great Basement of Tlatelolco, Mexico

27 May 2024

27 May 2024

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)  have unearthed a very special votive offering during excavations at...