This Prehistoric Alaskan Camp is Rewriting the History of Beringia

A 13,800-year-old prehistoric human settlement in Alaska, called Shég’ Xdaltth’í’, is challenging the long-held belief that the Clovis people were the first to reach the Americas. This site, situated on a bluff overlooking the Tanana River Valley, was discovered to be a base camp where humans lived on and off for over two centuries.

The team of archaeologists conducting the study found evidence of a well-established settlement, complete with artifacts such as cooking hearths, earthen ovens, and a variety of tools including sewing needles, awls, and a unique type of bi-pointed, diamond-shaped axe. This bi-pointed axe is strikingly similar to those found in both western Beringia and northeastern arctic Siberia, suggesting a cultural connection spanning the Bering Strait.

Interestingly, while microblades—a common tool found in eastern Beringia sites and other Siberian locations—were present, they did not appear alongside the fluted points characterizing paleoindian cultures further south. This discovery indicates a shared "way of life" dating back nearly a millennium before the Clovis culture emerged in temperate North America.