This is a fascinating story and kind of a fun break from politics. Researchers have discovered an ancient settlement off the west coast of Canada that is approximately 14,000 years old.
The Independent reports:
14,000-year-old village discovered in Canada one of oldest settlements ever found in North AmericaAn ancient village believed to be one of the oldest human settlements ever found in North America has been discovered during an excavation on a remote island in British Columbia.The village, which is estimated to be 14,000 years old, has been found on a rocky spit on Triquet Island, about 500 kilometres northwest of Victoria, Canada.It is estimated the village is older than Egypt’s pyramids.Scientists said the artefacts being unearthed, which include tools for lighting fires, fish hooks and spears dating back to the Ice Age, are painting a picture of how civilisation began in North America, CTV Vancouver Island News reports.Alisha Gauvreau, an anthropology PhD student at the University of Victoria and a researcher at the Hakai Institute, which supports the archaeological team, took part in the excavation work.She told the Canadian television network: “I remember when we get the dates back and we just kind of sat there going, holy moly, this is old.
This short video from CNN has more:
Adding another interesting aside to the story, the Heiltsuk tribe which has lived in the region for thousands of years says this discovery matches their oral history.
The CBC reported:
Archeological find affirms Heiltsuk Nation’s oral historyAn ancient archeological find on Triquet Island on B.C.’s Central Coast is adding credence to the oral histories of the Heiltsuk Nation.”Heiltsuk oral history talks of a strip of land in that area where the excavation took place. It was a place that never froze during the ice age and it was a place where our ancestors flocked to for survival,” said William Housty, a member of Heiltsuk Nation.B.C. archaeologists have excavated a settlement in the area — in traditional Heiltsuk Nation territory — and dated it to 14,000 years ago, during the last ice age where glaciers covered much of North America.”This find is very important because it reaffirms a lot of the history that our people have been talking about for thousands of years,” Housty said.
Stories like this are a great reminder of how young our modern culture really is.
Featured image via YouTube.
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