Americas -
first peoples

As humans spread out across the world, their toughest challenge was to colonize the Americas -- because of a huge ice sheet blocking their route. It has long been thought that pioneers -- known as Clovis people -- arrived about 13,000 years ago. But an underwater discovery in Mexico is forcing the story to be re-written. How closely related were the First Americans and today's Native Americans? It's a matter of huge controversy, focused on Kennewick Man. There are very few other skeletons in the world that engender such strong feelings.

Episode Duration: 55 minutes and 21 seconds

Episode Number: 101

About First Peoples:

See how the mixing of prehistoric human genes led the way for our species to survive and thrive around the globe.

Archaeology, genetics and anthropology cast new light on 200,000 years of history, detailing how early humans became dominant.

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