Clovis << KLOH vihs >> culture was one of the oldest prehistoric cultures of North America. It is named for a site near Clovis, New Mexico, where remains of the culture were first recognized and studied. The Clovis culture is identified by distinctive stone spearheads, called Clovis points, that are often found with the remains of extinct prehistoric animals. The Clovis culture thrived at the end of the ice ages of the Pleistocene Epoch from about 13,500 to 12,900 years ago. Scientists believe that the Clovis culture people were among the first to inhabit the Western Hemisphere.
Most Clovis points were made of fine-grained stone, such as flint or obsidian, that was flaked (chipped) into shape. They vary in length from about 11/2 to over 5 inches (4 to 13 centimeters). Most are 1 to 11/2 inches (3 to 4 centimeters) wide. The points have a long groove down the center of one or both faces, which was created by removing a long flake called a flute. This type of stone point is called a fluted point. Archaeologists believe the flute was useful for hafting (fitting) the point to the shaft of a spear. Clovis points have been found throughout much of North America and parts of Central America.
Clovis people were successful hunters. They hunted some of the megafauna (large animals), such as mammoths, mastodons, giant bison, horses, and camels, that lived in the region at the time. They also hunted smaller animals, such as deer and rabbits, and gathered plant foods. Most Clovis remains have been found in association with the remains of hunted animals. This is because archaeological sites with large, dense megafauna bones are more likely to be preserved and are easier to find than other kinds of sites. Archaeologists think that Clovis people traveled and hunted in small family groups with few material possessions and no permanent residences.
The Clovis culture vanished from the archaeological record after about 12,900 years ago. Many scientists think the disappearance of the Clovis culture was related to the extinction of many prehistoric animal species, such as mammoths, around the same time. Some experts think that overhunting by Clovis people drove many large prehistoric animals into extinction. Other experts think that climate change, disease, or a combination of factors caused the extinctions. After their main source of food became extinct, Clovis people had to rely more on hunting smaller animals and gathering plant foods. Distinct local cultures began to replace Clovis culture throughout North America. One such culture is recognized by spearheads similar to Clovis points, called Folsom points. These points are also fluted.
In 2014, scientists were able to extract a small amount of genetic material from a child’s skeleton found in 1969 at a Clovis burial in Montana. The burial, dated to about 12,600 years ago, also contained several Clovis points and other artifacts. An analysis of the genetic material showed that Clovis people were among the ancestors of modern Native American peoples. See Indigenous peoples of the Americas (The first Americans).
