Clovis First

The Clovis First theory refers to the hypothesis that the Clovis culture represents the earliest human presence in the Americas about 13,000 years ago. The theory dominated thinking on New World anthropology for much of the 20th century.

Numerous claims of earlier human presence began to challenge the Clovis first model beginning in the 1990s, culminating in significant discoveries at Monte Verde, Chile, dating back 14,500 years.