Arc
Plains sites, river valleys, mounds, caches, and contact-era puzzles.
Recent write-ups in this arc.
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at the Topper site in South Carolina, where chipped chert found beneath the Clovis layer dates back 50,000 years. Are these the oldest tools in the Americas, or just naturally broken rocks?
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at a 1,400-year-old Zapotec funerary complex in Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring a carved owl over a painted stucco face. We break down the real archaeological evidence versus the internet hype.
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at the Bergstrom bison kill site in central Montana, revealing why a proven hunting ground went quiet 1,100 years ago despite a stable local ecosystem.
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at the Holzman site in Interior Alaska, separating the headlines of 'oldest tools' from the hard, directly dated evidence of mammoth tusks and ivory rods.
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at the Beach Cache and Beacon Island, separating commonly cited Clovis-era claims from fully verified radiocarbon dates in North Dakota.
NORTH AMERICA
A forensic look at the Kanorado locality, where Ice Age sediment accumulation preserved deeply buried Paleoindian occupation surfaces beneath the High Plains.
Key definitions and context for North American anomalies.
A construction technique using stones stacked without mortar. Common in Middle Woodland structures like Fort Mountain.
A prehistoric exchange network (c. 200 BC – AD 500) connecting the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, characterized by monumental earthworks and exotic trade goods.
An archaeological site yielding no artifacts (pottery, lithics) despite structural evidence. Often implies a Temenos (sacred ceremonial separation).