Clovis Culture
11,500 BCE · Prehistoric
The Clovis culture appears around 11,500 BCE at the end of the last glacial period. This prehistoric Paleoamerican culture is named for distinct stone tools found with Pleistocene fauna at Blackwater Locality No. 1 near Clovis, New Mexico, in the 1920s and 1930s. The culture is characterized by the manufacture of Clovis points and distinctive bone and ivory tools. Archaeologists' determinations suggest this radiocarbon age equals approximately 13,200 to 12,900 calendar years ago. Evidence suggests Clovis people are ancestors of most indigenous cultures of the Americas.
Key Figures
James Ridgely WhitemanEdgar B. HowardJohn L. Cotter
Locations
Blackwater DrawClovis, New Mexico
Topics
nativeprehistoryindiantexasAmerica
Connected Events — 6 Connections
Represents the immediate predecessor culture to Leanderthal Lady's population, as Clovis culture tools and sites in Texas predate her by 1,500 years and established the technological and cultural foundation for subsequent Paleoindian groups in the region Leanderthal Lady
Radiocarbon dating provided the first reliable method to date Clovis sites, establishing the 11,500 BCE timeline and sparking debates about early human migration to the Americas Development of Radiocarbon Dating
The Clovis culture represents the earliest widespread human presence in the Americas, establishing the foundational population from which all subsequent American civilizations, including Norte Chico, would eventually develop Norte Chico Civilization
Clovis culture represents the earliest widespread human settlement of the Americas, establishing the initial population dispersal patterns across Mesoamerica that would eventually give rise to complex civilizations including the precursor cultures of the Aztecs Founding of the Aztec Empire
The corridor's biological viability by approximately 12,600 years ago coincides with the emergence and spread of Clovis culture across North America Opening of the Ice-Free Corridor
Atlatl technology was central to Clovis hunting strategy, used to bring down megafauna across North America Solutrean Atlatl at Combe Sauniere
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