Evening star., 1940-02-27
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study

IN rieId, loborotory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
Men have lived in North America for
nearly 25.000 years.
This conclusion has been reached by
Dr.. Kirk Bryan and Louis L. Ray. Har-
ward University geologistss after IN in
tensive study Of the geology Of the oldest
known habitation site In the New
World-the so-called Lndenmeier VAL
ley in Northeastern Colorado, where
vast number Of human artifacts asso-
ciated with remains Of extinct animals
have been excavated by Smithsonian In
stitution PSYCHOLOGISTS.
Since the site first was opened six years
ago by DR.. Frank H. H. Roberts, jr., Of
the Smithsonian staff there has been
general agreement on the major elements
OF the picture. It was Q hunting camp
OF primitive Americans. probably Of the
same common stock as the present day
American Indians, who pursued bison
during the summers Of the closing years
Of the last Ice Age. But hitherto any
dating Of the remains has been pure
guess work.
The last great glacial period in Eastern
and Central North America was the Wis
consin. 1t Is now recognized by geolo-
gtsts, however. that this was broken up
into at least four substages with long
intervals Of ice retreat between them
when the climate and general picture Of
the country may have been much the
same as is the case today. The same
general picture obtains for Northern
Europe. where, however, five subglacia-
tons are recognized.
Now, Bryan and Ray point out, these
ebbs and surges Of the ice in both the
Old and New World have dates, insofar
as they can be dated at all, which
roughly correspond. Presumably on both
continents they were due to q common
cause, as yet the subject of much specu-
lation.
But the glaciation Of the Colorado
region was not identical with either the
European or Eastern North American
cycles. The common cause, however,
should also have operated in this region
and the dates approximate each other.
BY an extensive series Of correlations
they hnd that the weight of the evil
dence Is that the period of occupation
OF the Lindenmeier site would corre-
spond to the time Immediately following
the so-called st. Johnsbury or Pome-
ranian glaciation to the eastward. This
was next to the last Of the great ice
advances in North America.
1t has been dated quite vaguely on
both continents by the counting of varves
IN clays, which were bottoms Of lakes
when the glaciers were retreating. The
streams from the melting ice sheets laid
down new layers Of detritus each year.
The most acceptable figure is approxi-
mately $4,000 years from the end Of this
st. Johnsbury substage.
The human artifacts from the Linden
meier site are in a terrain preceding
that which followed the last ice retreat.
which likewise is somewhat unsatis-
factorily dated about 10000 years ago.
Hence, II the calculations are accepted,
man certainly was present between TO-
600 and 25,000 years ago. Other evi-
dence leads the geologists to believe that
the site was occupied much closer to the
earlier than to the later date.
This fixes the presence Of man in
North America earlier than generally
has been supposed by anthropologists.
They only recently have been willing to
admit Ice Age human beings on this con-
Ter Iaa l.
hnal period Of ice and bitter cold before
entering upon the relatively temperate
climate Of the present. The Lindenmeier
site evidence, Bryan and Ray say, checks
up fairly well with geological evidence
where other finds of artifacts Of these
first Americans have been found but
where the material for study is less suit
able.
They have been able to reconstruct
something of the stage upon which these
mysterious men and women struggled
for livelihood in the midst of the
glacial period. In the first place, they
say, the climate Of Northeastern Colo
RADIO was somewhat cooler than at pres
ent and at times almost Arctic.
Strong winds blew across the flood
plain surfaces not well protected by
vegetation, so that dunes were piled up
and pebbles cut and polished by drift
ing sand. Presumably the precipita-
ton in the mountain area may have
been greater. In the plains, however, q
dry, near-Arctic climate must be pos
tulated, similar to that Of the Canadian
Great Plains. The cold drying winds
from the mountains prevented the for
nation Of true forests, SO that pre-
sumably the plains were covered with
prairie types Of vegetation with only
scattered groves Of trees.
TN such severe environment the
sheltered Lindenmeier Valley, with
grass and water in its springy meadow,
must have been an ideal spot for tho
beasts. Here q hunting people would
find year after year the necessities
water and game for food. It is hard to
believe, however, that the larger grazing
animals remained in the area In tho
winter. Just as the bison of more recent
history migrated southwark to more
genial climates, so the ancient bison
probably also migrated. Doubtless the
hunters moved with the animals. II 80
an explanation of the lack Of remains
Of shelters at the site is afforded, and
also an explanation for the wide dis