When did the first hunter-gatherers live in Middle America?

The timing of the first human presence in Middle America remains a subject of ongoing archaeological research and debate, as there is no single universally accepted date for their arrival.1

While some researchers have proposed dates as early as 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, these claims are rejected by most scholars. More widely accepted evidence suggests that early hunter-gatherers were present by at least 11,000 BCE, as Paleo-Indians must have passed through the region to reach sites like Monte Verde, Chile by approximately 10,500 BCE.231

Additionally, some archaeological findings suggest an even earlier human presence. Excavations at Tlapacoya, near Mexico City, uncovered an obsidian blade associated with a radiocarbon date of approximately 21,000 BCE, and research in the Valsequillo region near Puebla has yielded cultural remains dated to roughly 21,800 BCE. These early groups primarily relied on hunting large Pleistocene mammals, such as mammoths, until environmental changes around 7000 BCE forced a transition toward hunting smaller game and collecting wild plants.12