“Ancient Indigenous People in New Mexico Endured Extreme Climate Change 23,000 Years Ago, S” — what this page in the network covers. A new study published in Quaternary Science Reviews reveals that the first Indigenous people in North America lived through dramatic climate swings around 23,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum. Researchers analyzed ancient pollen, charcoal, and sediment from a lake bed in New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin, near the White Sands National Park, where fossilized human footprints were previously discovered. The findings show that temperatures fluctuated by as much as 10°C (18°F) within decades, alongside shifts between wet and dry periods.
This challenges the long-held assumption that early humans only settled in stable, mild environments. The study underscores the resilience and adaptability of ancient Indigenous communities, who thrived despite harsh and unpredictable conditions. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.