"It really changed everything about what we understood about when and how people arrived to the Americas," Braje said of the Chile site. Dating ancient artifacts like this is tricky and is often the source of contention around these sites that question our understanding and timeline of ancient human history. That's why only a handful of Lowery's artifacts could be tested. If these artifacts are as old as the lab analysis suggests, then Lowery's discovery could rewrite our understanding of ancient American human history. For Braje, Lowery's research is reminiscent of past debates when new discoveries pushed back the timeline for the first American arrivals.

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Persons: —, Todd Braje, Darrin Lowery, he's, Lowery, hasn't, Braje, Lowery doesn't Organizations: Service, University of Oregon Museum of Natural, Business, Parsons, NOAA, Washington Post Locations: South America, Americas, Island , Maryland, North America, Maryland, Chesapeake, Canada, Asia, Siberia, Alaska, Chile, Monte Verde, Coast, Parsons