A new late Pleistocene archaeological sequence in South America: the Vale da Pedra Furada (Piauí, Brazil)

International audienceThe date of the first settlement of the Americas remains a contentious subject. Previous claimsfor very early occupation at Pedra Furada in Brazil were not universally accepted (see Meltzer et al. 1994). New work at therockshelter of Boqueirao da Pedra Furada and at the nearby open-air site of Vale da Pedra Furada have however produced new evidencefor human occupation extending back more than 20 000 years. The argument is supported by a series of $^{14}$C and OSL dates, and bytechnical analysis of the stone tool assemblage. The authors conclude that the currently accepted narrative of human settlement inSouth America will have to be re-thought