New research provides evidence that the Clovis people regularly hunted mammoths for food. A chemical analysis of an 18-month-old child’s remains found in Montana suggests that mammoths made up 35-40 percent of his mother’s diet.
For a long time, archaeologists have debated whether the Clovis people, who lived around 13,000 years ago, had the knowledge and technology to regularly hunt megafauna. Recent research suggests that mammoths were indeed a substantial part of their diet.
A new chemical analysis of the remains of an 18-month-old male called Anzick-1 found in Montana provides direct evidence that the Clovis people may have relied on mammoths as a food source. The team, led by archaeologist James Chatters, analyzed the isotopes of carbon and nitrogen deposited from food into the child’s bones. Since the child was likely nursing, his isotope values reflected those of his mother, providing clues to her diet.
The researchers calculated that mammoths contributed 35-40 percent of the mother’s diet, with elk, bison, and camel contributing much less. Small mammals made up only 4 percent of her intake. This suggests that the Clovis people in western North America had a similar diet to their eastern counterparts.
Other researchers have expressed caution about the study’s findings. Anthropologist Vance Holliday notes that sweeping assumptions cannot be made from a single skeleton. He suggests that more human remains would need to be found to confirm these results.
The team believes that this finding is not just a single site with a single meal of mammoth but rather reflects a tradition of the people. Given that the Clovis people in western North America shared similar behaviors and equipment, it is probable that others would have had similar diets too.
- sciencenews.org | Dietary evidence bolsters Clovis hunters’ reputation as mammoth killers
