Ake Site facts for kids

The Ake Site is a very old place where people lived a long, long time ago. It's an important archaeological site near Datil, in Catron County, New Mexico, USA. An archaeological site is a place where scientists study things left behind by people from the past.

This site was added to the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties in 1975. It was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it's a special place that is protected because of its history.

Discovering the Ake Site

The Ake Site is super important because of how old it is. It shows us how long people have lived in the American Southwest. Scientists have found tools and other items here. These items tell us about the lives of ancient people.

How Old is the Ake Site?

Scientists use special methods to figure out how old things are. They found that people lived at the Ake Site during two very old periods:

• The Clovis period: This was a time between 10,999 BC and 8000 BC. That's over 10,000 years ago!
• The Folsom period: This came after Clovis, between 7999 BC and 5999 BC.

This makes the Ake Site one of the oldest places where humans lived in the American Southwest. It gives us clues about the earliest people in this region.

Comparing with Other Ancient Sites

Other ancient sites nearby are not as old as the Ake Site. For example:

• Bat Cave is another important site. It shows signs of human life from 4999 BC to 1000 BC.
• Some pueblo sites nearby are even more recent. They date from 1000 BC to 1000 AD.

The Ake Site helps us understand the long history of human life in New Mexico. It shows how different groups of people lived in the area over thousands of years.