Inland Early Occupation Site Found in Brazil

PARIS, FRANCE—Denis Vialou of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and his colleagues believe they have found 23,000-year-old artifacts in the Santa Elina rock-shelter in eastern Brazil, according to a report in Science News. The artifacts, found in three sediment layers, include stone objects and bony plates taken from the skin of giant sloths that had been modified with notches and holes. Hearths were also found in the sediment layers. Early human occupation sites in South America are usually found along the coast. For more, go to “Off the Grid: Rio de Janeiro.”