logo
A Settlement Discovery Could Upend Our Theory of Early America

A Settlement Discovery Could Upend Our Theory of Early America

Yahoo13-02-2025
An 11,000-year-old Indigenous settlement found in Saskatchewan reshapes the understanding of North American civilizations.
Evidence of a long-term settlement, rather than a temporary hunting camp, pushes against previous ideas that Indigenous peoples were solely nomadic.
The find also bumps against previously held beliefs on how long people groups have lived in North America.
The now-extinct but once-plentiful Bison antiquus—a bigger, taller cousin of the bison we know today, each weighing as much as 4,400 pounds—would make for quite a meal if you managed to bring one down. Their meat was apparently reason enough for a group of Indigenous peoples to make a home near what is now Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, according to a new discovery that flips our predisposition about early North Americans upside down.
In the new find, researchers discovered evidence of a long-term settlement near Sturgeon Lake in the Canadian province, dating the settlement to 11,000 years ago. It could rewrite what is known about Indigenous history in North America, providing evidence of a more sedentary life style taking hold much earlier than the nomadic way of living that experts have long believed was how those early people groups lived.
'This discovery challenges the outdated idea that early Indigenous peoples were solely nomadic,' said Glenn Stuart, archaeologist at the University of Saskatchewan, in a statement released by Sturgeon Lake First Nation via the university. 'The evidence of long-term settlement and land stewardship suggest a deep-rooted presence. It also raises questions about the Bering Strait Theory, supporting oral histories that Indigenous communities have lived here for countless generations.'
The researchers said this find establishes the location as one of the oldest known Indigenous sites on the continent, a pre-contact settlement showing that organized societies existed in the region far earlier than previously believed.
Researcher and archaeologist Dave Rondeau initially discovered a host of artifacts revealed by erosion from the North Saskatchewan River. 'The moment I saw the layers of history peeking through the soil, I felt the weight of generations staring back at me,' Rondeau said. 'Now that the evidence has proven my first instincts, this site is shaking up everything we thought we knew and could change the narrative of early Indigenous civilizations in North America.'
The team located stone tools, fire pits, and lithic materials used in toolmaking. The Charcoal layers show inhabitants practiced fire management, and the site was used long-term, rather than as a temporary hunting camp.
Another key differentiator was the discovery of large bison remains. The landscape features a buffalo jump—a cliff that Indigenous people used to drive large groups of animals over for easier kills—and the team believes the site likely housed multiple bison pounds and other kill sites. The findings point to hunters strategically harvesting the now-extinct Bison antiquus.
Finding evidence of bison also could provide insight into early hunting techniques and the evolution of the species.
'This discovery is a powerful reminder that our ancestors were here, building, thriving, and shaping the land long before history books acknowledged us,' Chief Christine Longjohn said in a statement. 'For too long our voices have been silenced, but this site speaks for us, proving that our roots run deep and unbroken.'
You Might Also Like
The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape
The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere
Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ProtoSpace Mfg Named Title Sponsor of 2025 Canadian International Rover Challenge
ProtoSpace Mfg Named Title Sponsor of 2025 Canadian International Rover Challenge

Associated Press

time15 hours ago

  • Associated Press

ProtoSpace Mfg Named Title Sponsor of 2025 Canadian International Rover Challenge

Empowering the Next Generation of Planetary Robotics Engineers With Hands-On Support and Manufacturing Resources SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA - August 5, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - ProtoSpace Mfg, the advanced manufacturing division for aerospace and defense of the Protocase Companies, is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the 2025 Canadian International Rover Challenge (CIRC), an international university-level robotics competition simulating real-world Mars exploration challenges. Held August 8–11 in the strikingly Mars-like badlands of Drumheller, Alberta, CIRC brings together top engineering students from around the world - Canada, the United States, Poland, and beyond - to test their custom-built planetary rovers in a rigorous series of terrain, dexterity, and environmental analysis tasks. Now celebrating its ninth year, the event is organized by the Canadian Space Technology Advancement Group (CSTAG), a not-for-profit formed by alumni of the University of Saskatchewan's Space Design Team. As 2025 Title Sponsor, ProtoSpace Mfg is providing meaningful, hands-on support to student innovators at every stage of the competition: The CIRC's unique multi-day format includes robotic navigation, sample collection, excavation, autonomous and manual control trials, and the only nighttime rover challenge of its kind: the rugged overnight 'Traversal.' In a demanding environment that mimics the surface of Mars, participants must account for strict weight limits, weather variability, and autonomy standards while ensuring their rovers perform mission-critical tasks under pressure. 'For us, supporting the Canadian International Rover Challenge isn't just about manufacturing parts, it's about manufacturing opportunity,' said Dr. Doug Milburn, Chairman of the Protocase Companies. 'We want students to go beyond theoretical knowledge and gain real-world experience designing, building, and iterating at the edge of what's possible. CIRC represents exactly the kind of bold, imaginative engineering we believe in at ProtoSpace Mfg.' In addition to ProtoSpace Mfg, sponsors of the 2025 event include Nordspace and Birchcliff Energy, helping to ensure the continued growth of Canada's most compelling space engineering challenge. With its roots in student-led innovation and a legacy of global participation, CIRC is not just preparing future space scientists, it's giving them the tools, resources, and mentorship to lead. For more information about ProtoSpace Mfg or to learn how your team can access support, visit ProtoSpace Mfg. About ProtoSpace Mfg ProtoSpace Mfg is a division of the Protocase Companies, offering rapid, high-precision manufacturing for custom electronics enclosures, mechanical components, and prototyping applications. With industry-leading turnaround times and a mission to empower engineering innovation, ProtoSpace Mfg serves clients in aerospace, robotics, education, and beyond. About CIRC Founded in 2017, the Canadian International Rover Challenge is an annual robotics competition that invites student teams from around the world to test their planetary rover systems in a Mars-analog terrain. Organized by CSTAG, the competition emphasizes real-world engineering, collaboration, and autonomous systems development. Contact: Jonathan Phillips [email protected] View the original release on

Massive, mysterious ‘hot blob' beneath Eastern US is moving toward New York, puzzling scientists
Massive, mysterious ‘hot blob' beneath Eastern US is moving toward New York, puzzling scientists

New York Post

time2 days ago

  • New York Post

Massive, mysterious ‘hot blob' beneath Eastern US is moving toward New York, puzzling scientists

Is this the start of Goo York City? UK scientists have discovered a massive 'blob' of rock underneath the Appalachian mountains that's slowly oozing its way toward New York City, per a slimy new study published in the journal Geology. 'This thermal upwelling has long been a puzzling feature of North American geology,' the study's lead author, Tom Gernon, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton, said in a statement. Officially dubbed the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA), this subterranean slimeball sits 125 feet deep underground and extends 220 miles across New England. The team reportedly discovered it using seismic tomography, a method akin to taking a giant CAT scan of the Earth. 4 Fortunately, the blob won't reach NYC for at least 10 million years, per the study. Christopher Sadowski While originally thought to have formed 180 million years ago when North America broke away from Africa, the new research suggests that it appeared 80 million years ago when the precursor landmasses to Canada and Greenland were splitting apart, LiveScience reported. 'It lies beneath part of the continent that's been tectonically quiet for 180 million years, so the idea that it was just a leftover from when the landmass broke apart never quite stacked up,' said Gernon. In a study published last year in the Journal Nature, the team described how this molten mantle molasses is created when hot rock sitting just outside the Earth's core rises to fill cracks in the crust caused by land rifts. When this material eventually cools, it sinks or 'drips,' causing a ripple effect along the lower surfaces of the continents that has been called 'mantle waves.' 4 uplift the Appalachians, explaining why the mountain range remains so high despite significant erosion over the past 20 million years. Dana – By using a combination of direct geological observations, computer simulations and model plate tectonics and geodynamics, the team was able to replicate the formation of a hot blob 1,120 miles northeast of the Appalachians. They found that the primordial ooze was moving southwest at a clip of 12 miles every million years. 4 A map showing how the Appalachian Mountains may have split from Greenland around 80 million years ago. University of Southampton Fortunately, we don't need to prepare for an a-blob-alypse anytime soon. At this rate, researchers estimate that blob-zilla will reach NYC in 10 to 15 million years, like a very slow-moving B-movie monster — it takes a while for underground movements to make a splash in the Big Apple. 4 'It (the blob) lies beneath part of the continent that's been tectonically quiet for 180 million years, so the idea that it was just a leftover from when the landmass broke apart never quite stacked up,' said lead author Tom Gernon. 06photo – The simulation also showed that the blob may have helped uplift the Appalachians, explaining why the mountain range remains so high despite significant erosion over the past 20 million years. 'Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast,' said Gernon 'This would have caused the ancient mountains to be further uplifted over the past million years.' After the blob departs the region, however, the Earth's crust will settle once again and erosion will 'continue to wear down the mountains, gradually lowering their elevation,' the scientist said. This seismic syrup is perhaps also the reason why rare volcanic eruptions can help bring diamonds to the surface, per the study. While the study was predominantly centered around the NAA, the team also focused on its twin, an anomalous hot zone situated beneath North Central Greenland. This tectonic lava lamp, which was created during the same continental fragmentation but on the other side of the rift like a molasses-y mirror, generates heat currents at the base of the miles-thick ice sheet, influencing how the ice moves and melts today. 'Ancient heat anomalies continue to play a key role in shaping the dynamics of continental ice sheets from below,' Gernon said. 'Even though the surface shows little sign of ongoing tectonics, deep below, the consequences of ancient rifting are still playing out.'

Multiple sclerosis could affect health years before classic symptoms
Multiple sclerosis could affect health years before classic symptoms

UPI

time2 days ago

  • UPI

Multiple sclerosis could affect health years before classic symptoms

New research from Canada's University of British Columbia found patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis started to experience new health issues up to 15 years before showing the classic symptoms of the condition. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay Aug. 4 (UPI) -- People with multiple sclerosis, or MS, begin experiencing new health issues up to 15 years before the classic signs of the illness appear, Canadian research shows. "MS can be difficult to recognize as many of the earliest signs -- like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns -- can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," study senior author Helen Tremlett noted. "Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention," said Tremlett, a professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Her team published its findings Friday in JAMA Network Open. MS is an autoimmune illness in which the body's immune system goes awry, attacking the protective myelin sheath that surrounds nerves within the brain and along the spinal cord. Communication breaks down between the brain and the body, leading to progressive disability. The new study that suggests MS may begin more than a decade before a clinical diagnosis. Tremlett's group combed through British Columbia health data for 12,000 people with or without MS. Records went back as far as 25 years prior to an MS patient's diagnosis. That's far longer than the five to 10 years covered in earlier studies looking at disease onset. The main findings: Fifteen years before the onset of classic MS symptoms, there was a noticeable uptick in patient visits to their general practitioner, or in visits to specialists for issues like fatigue, pain and dizziness, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Twelve years before symptom onset, visits to psychiatrists began to rise. Eight to nine years before, visits to neurologists and eye specialists rose, perhaps linked to issues such as blurred vision or eye pain. Three to five years before, researchers noted a rise in visits to emergency departments and/or radiology facilities. One year before, visits peaked for a wide range of different physician types, such as neurologists, radiologists and emergency doctors. "These patterns suggest that MS has a long and complex prodromal phase -- where something is happening beneath the surface but hasn't yet declared itself as MS," said study first author Dr. Marta Ruiz-Algueró, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC. "We're only now starting to understand what these early warning signs are, with mental health-related issues appearing to be among the earliest indicators," she added in a news release. The researchers stressed that the early issues that drove MS patients to seek out care can be caused by a myriad of health conditions. Simply experiencing these conditions does not mean a person will go on to develop MS. Nevertheless, "By identifying these earlier red flags, we may eventually be able to intervene sooner -- whether that's through monitoring, support or preventive strategies," Tremlett said a university news release. "It opens new avenues for research into early biomarkers, lifestyle factors and other potential triggers that may be at play during this previously overlooked phase of the disease." More information Find out more about multiple sclerosis at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store