Peñon woman facts for kids
Peñon Woman or Peñon Woman III is the name given to the skull of an ancient woman. She was a Paleo-Indian, which means she lived a very long time ago. Her skull was found near an old lake bed in Pueblo Peñón de los Baños, Mexico City, in 1959.
Discovery of Peñon Woman
Peñon Woman III was discovered on what used to be an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. This lake is located in Mexico City.
How Old Is She?
Scientists used a special method called radiocarbon dating to figure out how old Peñon Woman III is. This method measures tiny amounts of carbon in old things to find their age. Silvia Gonzalez, a scientist from Liverpool John Moores University, estimated her age to be about 10,755 years old. This makes her one of the oldest human remains ever found in the Americas.
Who Was She Related To?
Silvia Gonzalez also has a theory about Peñon Woman. She believes this ancient woman might be related to the Pericú people. The Pericú were an indigenous group who lived in Baja California. They shared some similar physical features with Peñon Woman.
