Findings
The early dates of human presence at the cave show that humans did not exclusively migrate from North America down to the Andes in South America, which some archaeologists had previously believed.
"We found strong evidence that a culture quite distinct from the North American Paleoindian culture, but contemporary with it, existed more than 5,000 miles to the south", Anna Roosevelt has said. "Paleoindians traveled far and adapted to a diverse range of habitats. The existence of distinct cultures east of the Andes suggests that North American big-game hunters were not the sole source of migration into South America." [1]
The lowest levels of the cave yield charred floral and faunal remains and stone tools, including spear points, suggesting that the earliest visitors were hunter-gatherers in the humid tropical environment. These Paleoindians used the cave frequently over a span of 1,200 years, leaving remains of fruits, and seeds, including Brazil nuts; as well as fish, birds, reptiles, shellfish, and amphibians. [1]
30,000 lithic specimens have been excavated from the cave. [2]
Paintings
Lumps of raw pigment and drops of paint from the cave paintings have been dated. The paintings are considered to be the earliest ones in South America and the earliest known cave paintings in the Americas as a whole. [1] Images include a stick figure of a woman giving birth, geometric designs, and hand stencils in browns, reds, and yellows. [2]
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Brazil