News Archaeology

The debate over people’s pathway into the Americas heats up

An inland route was likely, though a coastal route was possible, researchers claim

Alaskan site excavation

 ROUTE DISPUTE  Ancient northeastern Asians could have reached the Americas via inland and coastal paths, although more evidence points to treks through an ice-free inland corridor, a new review concludes. Here, archaeologists excavate an Alaskan site occupied by people as early as 9,500 years ago.

B.A. Potter

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Despite recently getting a cold shoulder from some researchers, a long-standing idea that North America’s first settlers entered the continent via an ice-free inland corridor boasts more scientific support than any other proposal, an international team says.