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Pedra Furada
archaeological site, Brazil
Pedra Furada, Controversial archaeological site, northeastern Brazil. It was thought to contain hearths and stone artifacts as old as 48,000 years, about 35,000 years earlier than the commonly accepted dates for the first human settlement of the Americas. Experts have concluded that the early “occupation deposits” and associated stone “artifacts” were probably formed by natural geologic phenomena.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.
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