12,000-year-old footprints discovered in Utah
footprints 12,000 years old have recently been discovered in the western Utah desert, in the USA. American researchers have discovered 88 fossilized footprints of human feet dating from the Pleistocene. These archaeological treasures were unearthed in the alkaline plains of Utah Test and Training Rangea military training and testing area located about 130 km west of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Anya Kittermanan archaeologist and cultural resources manager at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, says that the fact of find all these footprints in one place is exceptional. Seekers feel like they come alive through them the daily of a family group that lived thousands of years ago.
the Dr Daron Dukesenior researcher at the Far Western Anthropological Research Group, added that it is bothadult and child footprints.
Artifacts of a long-lost Native American civilization
Researchers are delighted with this discovery. It allowed them not only to learn more on the ancient Native American tribes that populated this region, but also to discover fossil remains of traces of living beings old still unknown.
Of the analyzes in the laboratory have enabled archaeologists to identify what age groups belong the fossilized footprints. They were able to identify bare foot prints children aged 5 to 12.
Fossil footprints imprinted in a marshy area
Dr. Daron Duke said it would have taken a humid climate to allow such traces. Admittedly, the Great Salt Lake desert where the archaeological site is located has not known a humid climate since at least about 10,000 years old. But it seems that the site was at that time an oasis lost at middle of a huge swamp which today has become a great barren desert.
In addition, some individuals seem to have walked in shallow water, as the sand quickly filled in the footprints they left. These are reminiscent of the traces that could be left on a sandy beach. However, the layer of mud who is under the sand was able to memorize the shape from their feet for 12,000 years.
SOURCE: SCI
