Crossing the Atlantic 20,000 Years Ago May Have Been Quicker

How did Solutreans cross an ice-packed Atlantic Ocean all the way to America? Some scientists believe different weather conditions may have caused the journey to be shorter.

[dimezrecon]

Its possible. The Polynesians traveled further and the up north people live through worse. But if folks did travel this route they didn't have the staying power or numbers to last as a distinct or identifiable group.
Regardless, the sacred cow people are rather annoying with their insistence that human migration can only have happened like the picture in their middle school text book shows. They probably are pissed at the discoveries that sapiens and neanderthals mated, dispite what they were taught.

[AKrn]

Hey guys, let's start rowing our boats and see where we go. Bring food, beer.

[snorfallupagus]

Quite surprised the Smithsonian is allowing this theory to be discussed.
Not so politically correct.
The Smithsonian has suppressed archeological finds in the past that did not fit certain narratives.

[florisv]

Well, the continental shelves don't extend as much as this suggests, and you probably have to be rather sure that there's land on the other side to make it worth the risk.

[theotherandrew]

Having experienced winters in the minus 30s, you don’t leave your face or your hair exposed, unless you want frostbite. It hurts your face, even breathing is painful without a scarf.

[highplains]

Who new it? Mexicans lived in France during the last ice age! /sarcasm

[harrietharlow]

I find this hypothesis interesting. If you look at the entry "large igneous province"at Wikipedia, you will see areas colored in pale yellow labeled "Extended Crust"-- those areas are what we know as the continental shelves. They would have been dry land at the times the hypothesis posits for the crossing of Solutreans from Europe to North America. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. And I find the presence of Haplotype X in Wyandotte and Chippewa DNA profiles to be quite interesting. The story of the peopling of the Americas is likely to turn out to be quite interesting.


It is a shame that we cannot explore the continental shelves for evidence, because I suspect that evidence exists in areas which were once dry land. Already, Mammoth bones and stone tools have been dredged from the muds of the continental shelf off the US East Coast.

[kyletrueman]

Is there any genetic/physical evidence of this happening?

[Brainhoneywalker]

New understandings of how our ancestors migrated throughout the world is so exciting and interesting.

[NotYoung]

Right. No food, water and 3 months trip. Brilliant.

[thepianoplayer]

A lot depends on archaeological evidence including old artifacts (pottery, tools) and human remains to suggest the origin of the people who migrated across the oceans. 1 of the earliest skeletal remains found in North America is the Kennewick man. His profile assumed to be Europeans from prehistoric France or Spain but later tested to be more related to Native Americans.

[danielblamires]

Very good. That's one of the most important ages from the human history.

[bobjackson]

As well as the lower sea level the north Atlantic Ridge had 20, 000 years less of spreading, that might have been a couple of kilometres, less to paddle. Even with hunting on the way they would have needed much larger boats to hold food stores to survive the 100 day trip.

[aced]

Damn, has Concorde been gone for that long???!

[sue]

Crossing the Atlantic in a currach with even a rudimentary sail would not have been much of a challenge as first assumed. The sail would have been originally been used for weather protection but anyone that's ever had a tarp get caught in a breeze pretty much would figure out ---sail ---- It would have also served as a ground cover when they pulled the currach on a sheet of ice and used the boat as a tent shelter. Seals provide food and oil for fire and keep the boat waterproof. There is fish and the fire to melt ice for water. Problem is that you have to dredge the oceans to find proof because their coast line was a couple hundred miles out in todays oceans.

[MedicineWolf]

The Solutrean hypothesis is rather important and genetic evidence is mounting. I expect something longer than 3 minutes from the Smithsonian...

[ottifantiwaalkes]

19000 years ago!!
Possible that people sailed or paddled from east to west at some point in summer but not 19000 years ago.

[heatnicoleher]

Reminds me of the Clan of the Cave Bear series. If this stuff interests you, check out the author Jean Auel.

[timberwolfdtproductions]

They would need a much bigger boat to transport three months worth of food and water. That bigger boat would require more hands to sail it, meaning more food and water required. It’s hard to imagine making a three month sea voyage in anything less than a small ship. Did the Solutrians posses shipbuilding technology? This theory needs a lot of work.

[August]

I’m not convinced that early on man would pack everything into a boat and head “that way.” Instead, I think a series of land journeys would have been adopted. A month across and then back; two, three months across an then back. Then the bulk of the tribe could prepare for the journey. What would be useful and what useless. The other universe of the boat journey seems risky at best, at worst? Ignorance.