“Archaeology and Science at the Paisley Caves” By Dr. Dennis Jenkins (University of Oregon)

Dr. Dennis Jenkins works at the Paisley Caves in Oregon, the location of the oldest human remains in the Western Hemisphere (12,000-14,600 cal. BP). His dates come from human corpolites buried beneath rockfalls and multiple sediment layers. DNA samples say these coprolites are Siberian. From the artifacts recovered, not one shows evidence of Clovis technology. Hand stones recovered show evidence that these possible first Americans were a broad range of foragers and not primarily meat eaters.

Excavations in Cave 1 (14,000-11,000 years ago) were conducted underneath a boulder that collapsed. Since the ground beneath this boulder was untouched, the stratigraphy was pristine and safe from looters.

Cave 2 was also undisturbed thanks to a roof fall. A botanical lens (10,160-10,585 years ago) preserved grasses, sliced hair, and a pronghorn bone with cut marks. The human (sliced) hair sample was 12,570 cal. BP; plus, a hand stone had evidence of plant processing and mammoth residue.

Cave 5 had an unusual modified bear bone (14,230 cal. BP) which may be an artifact or it cracked by natural processes. The stratigraphic deposits are 1cm per 44 years. A bone pit of Pleistocene animals lay on top of human corpolites. These stertile sample were sent to a lab in  Copenhagen. Haplogroups A2 and B2 found in these Paisley coprolies were common in Pleistocene Siberia.

Paisley Caves 14,300 years ago was a Paleoamerican site with people well adapted to their environment who were a broad range of foragers with Siberian DNA. Since the ice free corridor technically was not ice free at the time this site was settled, Dr. Jenkin's research supports the Costal Migration hypothesis.

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