Work

The Cinmar discovery and the proposed pre-Late Glacial Maximum occupation of North America

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: Proponents of a Solutrean colonization of the New World, and a pre-LGM occupation of North America's Mid-Atlantic region, cite as evidence a bifacially flaked, bi-pointed stone blade allegedly dredged from the continental shelf by the crew of the vessel Cinmar, along with portions of a mastodon skeleton later directly dated to 22,760 ± 90 RCYBP. However, our investigations into the discovery found several significant inconsistencies with respect to what is currently reported in the literature and raise serious questions that must be addressed before the Cinmar artifact can be considered evidence of anything pertinent to archaeology. In this article we present evidence and questions regarding the history of the Cinmar discovery, the location of the Cinmar discovery site, and the nature of the Cinmar vessel itself.

Source: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.03.001

Authors: Metin I. Eren, Matthew T. Boulanger, Michael J. O'Brien

Institutions: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, University of Missouri

Language: English

Topic: Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

Subfield: Anthropology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,910

Funders: Johns Hopkins University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration