The archaeological site has evidence of prolonged human presence, challenging the ancient belief that American indigenous peoples were nomadic.
A recently discovered settlement in central Canada is changing our understanding of the first indigenous civilizations.
It is estimated that the site, known as .SowanÂnihkwhich means “a place to cross” in Cree, it is about 11,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest archaeological sites in North America. This discovery calls into question the longtime belief that the first indigenous peoples in the region were essentially nomadic.
The site, located at Sturgeon Lake First Nation (SLFN) in Saskatchewan, was first identified in 2023 by the amateur archaeologist Dave Rondeau.
Experts believe it represents a village and long term instead of a temporary hunting camp. “This site is shaking everything we thought and can change the narrative of the first indigenous civilizations in North America,” Rondeau said in a statement on February 4.
The archaeologists discovered stone tools, bonfires and bison bones, indicating that the settlement was repeatedly occupied or for prolonged periods.
A particularly large fire suggests a sustained human presencesupporting the idea that the village was a permanent or semi-permanent house instead of a temporary stop to hunt.
Radiocarbon dating from one of the fireplaces has placed human activity in the place about 10 700 years, shortly after the end of the last ice age.
According to Glenn Stuart, archaeologist at the University of Saskatchewan, this chronology suggests that indigenous peoples have established themselves in the area As soon as the earth became habitable.
“This indicates that people arrived at this place as soon as they became habitable,” Stuart told, “and then continually reoccupied the site for thousands of years. The first ancestral nations have lived in the area west of Prince Albert since it was possible to live in the area. ”
The Awananihk Council, consisting of SLFN’s elders, knowledge and educators, is collaborating with local archaeologists and stakeholders to study and protect the site.
The village, initially discovered during the erosion of the bank of a river, now faces resulting threats of logging activities in the area. Efforts are being developed to ensure its preservation, safeguarding this invaluable connection to the beginnings of North America’s indigenous history.
