For decades, Monte Verde in southern Chile has been one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas. The site was widely accepted as 14,500 years old, making it one of the strongest pieces of evidence for human presence in the Americas before Clovis.

But what if that interpretation was wrong?

In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Todd Surovell, professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, to discuss new research that re-examines Monte Verde using modern geoarchaeological methods. The results suggest that the famous site may actually be much younger than previously believed, dating to the Holocene rather than the Ice Age.

If true, this would mean that Monte Verde is not evidence for pre-Clovis humans in South America, and it could force archaeologists to reconsider one of the most influential discoveries in American archaeology.

We discuss:

• The history of the Monte Verde discovery
• Why it reshaped textbooks in the 1990s
• How new geological and dating analyses challenge the original interpretation
• What this means for Clovis-first vs. pre-Clovis models
• Why independent verification and skepticism are essential in science
• This episode explores how science evolves—and how even the most famous discoveries can be re-examined.

• Video Version to follow along
• Surovell’s Study
• Surovell’s UW Page
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Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

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The hosts consider the positives in the current state of CRM and academic archaeology. As anthropologists we are especially conscious of how society impacts our discipline and at times can trend towards the negative and get mired in the fear of what lays ahead. In this episode, we discuss how any challenge can be used for opportunity and how change and progress is best effectuated through a positive attitude.

For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/328

• CRMArch Ep 322 - Archaeology and the 2025 Section 106 Hearings

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

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The hosts discuss the use of technology in archaeology and the importance of using it appropriately. While our discipline will never escape the shovel and trowel - would we ever want it to? - there are tremendous tools that have been added to our proverbial tool chest over the years. However, just because these tools exist does not mean they are always useful. Employment of technology should be thoughtfully included in work plans and archaeologists have a responsibility to understand technology’s role in our discipline to ensure it is used appropriately.

For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/327

• Archaeotech Podcast

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

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The hosts discuss Jose Leonardo Santos’s article on negative public attitudes toward anthropology and the claim that the discipline is struggling, including department closures and doubts about career outcomes. They argue the article mostly compiles familiar viewpoints without enough outside perspectives or practical solutions, and debate whether anthropology and higher education are truly in crisis or whether some critiques rely on weak, clickbait-style data. Much of the conversation centers on academia’s disconnect from CRM work, saying graduates often lack practical skills, critical thinking, and the ability to take feedback, leaving CRM firms to train them from scratch. They compare community college “train-to-standard” education with selective four-year programs and emphasize professional self-improvement, then invite Santos to join the podcast for a Socratic-style discussion.

For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/326

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

• APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
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In this episode, the hosts discuss the latest U.S. News & World Report university rankings and question their relevance to archaeology and cultural resource management (CRM). They argue that Ivy League prestige and rankings have little to no impact on hiring or success in archaeology, emphasizing that program quality, practical skills, and experience matter far more than a school’s name. The panel shares examples where Ivy League graduates were not stronger candidates and notes that perceived academic “elite” advantages are often statistical noise or social bias. Overall, the episode encourages students and parents to focus on strong, field-relevant programs rather than chasing rankings or prestige.

For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/325

• U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

• APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
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In this episode, Heather, Andrew, and Bill share the moments—both as students and professionals—when they realized they were truly archaeologists. Through personal stories from field school, CRM work, and teaching, they explore how confidence, passion, and identity develop over time. The discussion highlights that archaeology is more than excavation, emphasizing problem-solving, people skills, and the many paths a career in CRM can take.

For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/324

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

• APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
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While the APN takes a break this holiday season we’re using this opportunity to present you with other great content on the network. Please enjoy this episode of the Rock Art Podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Alan Garfinkel speaks with Dr Damien Finch from the University of Melbourne about Kimberly Rock Art and his work on the application of radiocarbon dating to determine the age of rock art. They discuss how scientific techniques can be applied to past human activity and, of course, rock art!

• The Rock Art Podcast
• Dr Damien Finch Biography
• Australia’s oldest known Aboriginal rock paintings
• Light and shade: how the natural 'glazes' on the walls of Kimberley rock shelters help reveal the world the artists lived in
• This 17,500-year-old kangaroo in the Kimberley is Australia's oldest Aboriginal rock painting

• Bill White: Succinct Research
• Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
• Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
• Andrew Kinkella
• Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
• Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

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In this episode of The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, host Carlton Shield Chief Gover is joined by Dr. Madeline Mackie, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Michigan State University, to explore the archaeology of mammoth kill sites in the Northwest Plains.

Dr. Mackie walks us through what makes a site a “kill site” and how archaeologists determine whether mammoths were hunted by humans or died naturally. She shares insights into the types of tools, bone modifications, and site features that point to deliberate human activity—offering a glimpse into the complex and skilled lifeways of Paleoindigenous peoples.

The discussion also highlights what these mammoth kills reveal about how early humans adapted to shifting environments at the end of the Ice Age, providing crucial context for understanding the transition into the Archaic period. Dr. Mackie closes with a call to action: the Plains needs more archaeologists dedicated to uncovering and interpreting the Archaic period—one of the most understudied and dynamic chapters of Indigenous history.

Great Plains Archaeology Podcast

The Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)

Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)

Carlton's KU Anthropology Faculty Bio

Contact:

Instagram: @‌pawnee_archaeologist

Email: greatplainsarchpodcast@gmail.com

Bill White: Succinct Research

Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology

Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC

Andrew Kinkella

Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)

Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com

APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet

APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet

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APN Shop

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