The first traces of Palaeolithic man have been found 550 miles above the Arctic Circle on the mysterious ancient land bridge of Beringia that used to link Russia and America
- These are the first pictures of the new archaeological site on the remote Siberian island of Stolbovoy
- Our prehistoric ancestors ventured here at a time when the lost continental link – Beringia – was still in place
- New implements are believed to be up to 300,000 years old but further research needs to be conducted
The first traces of Palaeolithic man have been found on the ancient land bridge – now mostly sunken – which once joined Russia and America, say scientists.
These are the first pictures of the new archaeological site on the remote Siberian island of Stolbovoy which is 550 miles (885km) above the Arctic Circle.
Our prehistoric ancestors ventured here at a time when the lost continental link – called Beringia – was still in place and the incredible find represents the first tangible confirmation of human presence on the territory.
The new implements are currently believed to be up to 300,000 years old but further research needs to be conducted, experts say.
Situated in the icy Laptev Sea, the island is reported to be the most northerly evidence of ancient man anywhere in the world.
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The first traces of Palaeolithic man have been found on the ancient land bridge – now mostly sunken – which once joined Russia and America, say scientists. Pictured is Stolbovoy island
Stone implements found on Stolbovoy island are from the Palaeolithic era, according to archaeologist Tomas Simokaitis from the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Detailed tests will be carried out on the finds and Russian archaeologists plan an urgent excavation to investigate further.
Scientists now believe that America was originally populated from Siberia by ancient people crossing via Beringia some 15,000 to 23,000 years ago.
'We suppose the site is Palaeolithic,' said Dr Simokaitis.
'We suppose these implements we have found are hundreds of thousands years old, but so far we have no iron proof.'
Tests and an imminent dig at the site – called Palaeolena – will reveal more details, he said.
These are the first pictures of the new archaeological site on the remote Siberian island of Stolbovoy which is 550 miles (885km) above the Arctic Circle
Our prehistoric ancestors ventured here at a time when the lost continental link – called Beringia – was still in place. The new implements are currently believed to be up to 300,000 years old but further research needs to be conducted, experts say
Situated in the icy Laptev Sea, the island is reported to be the most northerly evidence of ancient man anywhere in the world
Initial findings indicate this is 'a world scale discovery in that this site gives the first tangible confirmation of human presence on the territory of legendary Beringia'.
In ancient times the island was attached to the Siberian mainland and America.
It was a remnant of the 'land bridge' – now mostly sunken – linking the two continents, according to the Siberian Times.
Dr Simokaitis said: 'We will try to dig into the permafrost, and open the surface.
'For now we have just collected material from the surface.'
It is widely accepted that the earliest settlers crossed from what is now Russia into Alaska via an ancient land bridge spanning the Bering Strait which was submerged at the end of the last Ice Age. Pictured is Stolbovoy island
Initial findings indicate this is 'a world scale discovery in that this site gives the first tangible confirmation of human presence on the territory of legendary Beringia'
In ancient times the island was attached to the Siberian mainland and America. It was a remnant of the 'land bridge' – now mostly sunken – linking the two continents
Dr Simokaitis said: 'We will try to dig into the permafrost, and open the surface... For now we have just collected material from the surface'
The expedition was organised by the Academy of Sciences in Yakutia and the Russian Geographical Society.
The land bridge sank beneath the waves beginning some 15,000 years ago, but Stolbovoy – with its high cliffs – remains above the surface.
The previous most northerly known outpost of ancient man was 230 miles (370km) to the south, on the Yana River, dating back at least 32,500 years, according to archaeologists.
The expedition was organised by the Academy of Sciences in Yakutia and the Russian Geographical Society
The land bridge sank beneath the waves beginning some 15,000 years ago, but Stolbovoy – with its high cliffs – remains above the surface
The previous most northerly known outpost of ancient man was 230 miles (370km) to the south, on the Yana River, dating back at least 32,500 years, according to archaeologists
Native Americans descended from people who migrated to the Americas from eastern Asia. These ancestors first settled in an area called 'Beringia' - a vast Bering land bridge that once linked Siberia and Alaska
Giant ice sheets to the east and hundreds of miles of uninhabitable tundra to the southwest prevented migration into North America
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So there were people living in Beringia 300,000 ye...
by Denis Barre 47