New Study Links Clovis Culture to Mammoth-Driven Diet

Isotope analysis of a 12,800-year-old child’s remains provides the first direct evidence of mammoth meat as a dietary staple for ancient Americans.

Researchers analyzed isotopic data from the remains of an 18-month-old child, known as Anzick-1, found at a Clovis burial site in Montana.
The study revealed that about 40% of the diet of the child’s mother consisted of mammoth meat, with other large animals like elk and bison making up the remainder.
This provides direct evidence supporting the hypothesis that the Clovis people specialized in hunting megafauna rather than relying on smaller animals or plants.
The findings suggest that the Clovis people’s focus on mammoths contributed to their rapid expansion across the Americas near the end of the Pleistocene epoch.
Researchers collaborated with Indigenous groups to ensure respectful handling of the remains and cultural heritage, reshaping understanding of Clovis-era lifeways.