Ted Goebel's Lecture; The Beringian Origins of the First Americans

Ted Goebel’s lecture had the main purpose of addressing the main scientific concerns archeologists have of early Americans. The lecture questioned the origins, culture, and migration period of the Paleo-Indians. Dr. Goebel draws from three major scientific fields to express both modern views and theories concerning the earliest American as well as his own personal beliefs. These fields are molecular genetics, human paleontology, and classic archaeology.
Goebel discussed how evidence strongly suggests that Homo sapiens from the late Pleistocene era came from the Lake Baikal region of Southern Siberia, and crossed the dry land mass of Beringia, through the Bering Land Bridge. The early Americans are expected to have eventually settled in various Alaskan locations. Although most genetic evidence comes from modern Native Americans, skeletal remains have been found of two Homo sapiens from the migratory period being studied. One set of remains dates before the glacial maximum and the other dating after. These two time periods are the two most likely migration periods. The first ranges from 32,000-20,000 YA and the other is after 17,000 YA. More DNA is needed for concrete findings.
The second field Goebel draws from is from human paleontology. Connections were made between the appearance of the Ainu people from Japan and Native Americans, however, the connection

discounted through DNA testing.
The last field of science is classic archeological excavation. The Yana RHS (Rhinoceros Horn Site), found in the Baikal Lake region, resulted in the discovery of many ancient stone tools and bones. The carbon dating of these artifacts dated the site at 13,000 YA, which makes it the oldest known site within the Arctic Circle. Other sites that were excavated were found around Alaska and helped to define the Denali and Nenana cultures through biface and microblade testing and analysis. Layered sites also resulted in the discovery of a third Ushki culture. There is a theory in which the Denalis and Nenanas are the same people but inhabit sites at different times depending on the season. This theory may be insufficiently supported by evidence.