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Early Human Arrivals

Credit: Ryan Hutton
There are many mysteries surrounding the first humans to reach the Rocky Mountains. Little evidence remains to tell us about how or where they lived. These early people were likely hunter-gatherers, and remains of an ancient man found in White River National Forest suggest that people may have been crossing, or even living on, the high slopes of the Roaring Fork Valley as early as 8,000 years ago.
This short video from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows a map that alters to display modeled ocean depths over time. Light shades of blue indicate shallow water, darker shades of blue indicate deeper water, and different shades of brown represent different elevations of land above sea level. The possible existence of a land bridge for several thousand years during an ice age is a critical component to one of the theories as to how early humans first migrated into the Americas.
Explore Other Migration Theories How long did humans live on the Bering Strait?'Global Connection

Brain Bug

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