New research suggests a catastrophic cosmic event may have triggered the demise of the Clovis culture and a significant portion of North American megafauna over 12,800 years ago. The study, published in PLOS ONE, presents compelling evidence from sediment samples in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. This evidence centers on the discovery of shocked quartz – a mineral only formed under the immense pressure of a meteor impact or a large-scale atmospheric explosion.
The presence of shocked quartz at these sites, precisely dated to around 10,800 BC, coincides with the abrupt disappearance of the Clovis people, a technologically advanced hunter-gatherer culture. Their distinctive stone tools vanish from the archaeological record shortly after this period, a timeframe that also marks the beginning of the Younger Dryas – a period of dramatic, sudden cooling lasting approximately 1,200 years.
The findings support theories, including those proposed by author Graham Hancock, suggesting a 'Doomsday comet' may have passed through Earth's atmosphere. This event could have blocked sunlight, disrupted ocean currents, and triggered the Younger Dryas' abrupt cooling, leading to widespread ecological devastation. The researchers analyzed sediment layers at three key sites: Blackwater Draw in New Mexico, Murray Springs in Arizona, and Arlington Canyon on Santa Rosa Island in California. Each site contained shocked quartz beneath a distinct black mat, a geological marker associated with the Younger Dryas.
Blackwater Draw, known for its Clovis artifacts, reveals a clear layer of shocked quartz directly above the final Clovis settlements. Similarly, Murray Springs preserves terminal Clovis artifacts and the remains of extinct megafauna beneath this black mat, hinting at a rapid and catastrophic event. Arlington Canyon yielded Clovis-era human remains under a black mat, displaying a significant gap before subsequent human occupation, suggesting a prolonged period of human absence. This coincides with the extinction of pygmy mammoths at the same site.
The team employed ten different laboratory techniques to analyze the shocked quartz, verifying its formation under extreme pressure and high temperatures. The characteristics of this material closely match samples found at other Younger Dryas sites globally, and even at nuclear airburst sites. The study's authors conclude that the presence of airburst/impact-related materials strengthens the link between a cosmic event and the significant ecological and cultural shifts that occurred at the onset of the Younger Dryas, causing the extinction of over 70% of North American megafauna and the collapse of the Clovis culture.
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Originally published at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15089805/Evidence-Doomsday-comet-wiped-forgotten-civilization-12-800-years-ago-US.html
