The initial settlement of the Americas from a bio-archaeological perspective

Abstract

The occupation of the Americas has been discussed scientifically since the nineteenth century, generating countless explanatory models. On the other hand, empirical evidence of the first occupations is limited because of preservation problems and low archaeological visibility. In this regard, the use of biological data from living and ancient human populations has provided crucial information for interpreting these early occupations. From a bioarchaeological perspective (in other words, from the study of human biological remains within an archaeological context), this present study brings together current understanding on the route of entry, the date of initial entry, the number of migrations, subsistence, and mortuary rituals of the first Americans. The results of this overview indicate that there are topics with high consensus (route of entry), intermediate consensus (date of entry), and low consensus (number of migrations). Meanwhile, the health and lifestyle of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas still require further study. This text highlights the importance of bioarchaeological knowledge in formulating occupation models while incorporating evidence from both South and North America in a balanced manner.