Fossilized Marks Spotted in New Mexico May Be the Earliest Evidence of Humans Dragging a Cart

Over the millenniums humans have progressed at a startling pace. This progress came through innovations like agriculture and transportation. Archaeologists have always been interested in tracing the development of these facets. Recently, researchers analyzed certain marks which gave them an understanding of the origin of long-distance transportation. A study regarding these marks was published in the journal Quaternary Science Advances.

The discovery was made at  White Sands in New Mexico alongside some human footprints, stated Science Alert. As per examinations, the footprints are deemed to be 23,000 years old. These footprints have already caused a huge uproar in the scientific community because they imply that humans arrived in the region 8,000 years before what was previously believed. Some experts have challenged this assertion because they do not consider the dating techniques used for the footprints to be accurate.

During the excavation of footprints, archaeologists also spotted drag marks. The study claimed that the markings were stored in dried mud and later buried by sediments. It came into view after processes like erosion. The prints at some spots were observed to be a single line, while in other patches there were two parallel lines. On a closer look, the team concluded that these markings were made by wooden poles. Researchers believe that the prints represent a transport arrangement known as travois. Such arrangements did not have wheels.

Researchers stated that the markings ran for dozens of meters on the surface. The team further noted that the drag marks were overrunning the human footprints. This implied that the humans were operating the travois. To confirm their findings, the researchers conducted some tests on the surface of Dorset, U.K., and the coast of Maine, U.S. The objective of these tests was to see what kind of patterns a simple travois could produce on muddy landforms.  The results were very similar to what the team spotted in the fossilized prints in New Mexico. After analyzing the drag marks and footprints in tandem, experts concluded that the travois was possibly pulled by the adults while the children accompanied them. 

For the examination, researchers collaborated with Indigenous people living in the region. They also had the same interpretation of these marks. The finding is valuable because if the assertion is true then the prints are the oldest known evidence of handcarts. This is the first time archaeologists have physical evidence of this transport. Moreover in the documents, these arrangements were associated with animals but in this case, researchers believe it was made by humans. 

Researchers speculate that travois was devised by the prehistoric population using items like spears, firewood, and tent poles. The study does not come to a common ground in terms of the reasoning behind these transports. They could have been used by people for purposes like moving camps or transporting meats. Experts think travois was the ancestor of wheeled transports like handcarts or wheelbarrows. The concept behind travois was developed over the years, to come to its advanced counterparts.