Scientists Unearth Remains of Earliest Inhabitants of North America

Xaasaa Na' Archaeological Site - Credit: Lisa Raffensperger, National Science Foundation

At the Xaasaa Na’ archaeological site near the Tanana River in central Alaska scientists have uncovered remains which appear to belong to one of the earliest inhabitants of North America. The dig site dates back to a time when the Bering Land Bridge may still have connected Alaska with Asia. Researchers published their findings in a paper published Feb. 25 in the journal Science.

The remains appear to belong to be that of a three-year old person who lived in the region at the time of the last Ice Age, the second youngest Ice Age child discovered on the continent. Researchers, named the child Xaasaa Cheege Ts’eniin (pronounced hausau chag ts’eneen), which translates to “Upward Sun River Mouth Child,” based on a local native place name.

In addition to better understanding the burial practices of Ice Age peoples, the find also sheds new light on their daily lives. Archaeologists and Alaska Natives are working jointly side-by-side to insure the excavation and subsequent examination of the child’s remains.

“This site reflects many different behaviors never before seen in this part of the world during the last Ice Age, and the preservation and lack of disturbance allows us to explore the life ways of these ancient peoples in new ways,” said Ben Potter, an archaeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who is working the site.