Unearthed Prehistoric Imprints Could Indicate Early Human Vehicle Use as Ancient Evidence
In 2021, a groundbreaking discovery altered our understanding of Paleoindians' movements in the Americas. Archeologists unearthed 23,000-year-old human footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park, marking the oldest-known trace of human presence in the continent. Recently, researchers posited that these early inhabitants were not only leaving their mark but also traveling with makeshift vehicles.
Publishing their findings on February 15, 2025, in the journal Quaternary Science Advances, a team of US and UK researchers suggested that these ancient footprints were accompanied by drag marks. The position of the footprints indicates that the drag marks were likely left by early humans pulling rudimentary vehicles. These vehicles were simply constructed from wooden poles, according to the researchers.
23,000-year-old human footprints, the oldest ever discovered in the Americas, rewrote the history of Paleoindians by suggesting they migrated to the continents thousands of years earlier than previously thought. A new study suggests that these early inhabitants weren’t just leaving footprints—they were traveling with transport vehicles.
During the last Ice Age, modern-day Alaska and Siberia were connected by a landmass, now submerged underwater. Known as the Bering Land Bridge, it has long been disputed among scholars whether humans arrived in the Americas via this route around 15,000 years ago or as early as 30,000 years ago.
published their work on February 15 in the journal
Matthew Bennett, the study's lead author, recognized the importance of discovering how early humans transported their belongings during migration. He expressed, "We know that our earliest ancestors must have used some form of transport to carry their possessions as they migrated around the world, but evidence of wooden vehicles has decayed."
may have been present as early as 30,000 years ago.
Bennett and his team recognized two types of tracks: single and double-lined, which they attributed to either a V-shaped or X-shaped vehicle design known as "travois." In their study, they mentioned that "Indigenous narratives and ethnographic literature contain references to the use of travois fashioned from one or more poles and pulled by dogs, horses, and/or humans."
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The footprints and tracks found near each other suggest that humans were pulling the vehicles, potentially with children in tow. If the archeologists' interpretation is accurate, this discovery would date back to the earliest known evidence of transportation technology.
statement. “These drag-marks give us the first indication of how they moved heavy and bulky loads around before wheeled vehicles existed,” added Bennett, an environmental and geographical scientist at Bournemouth University.
The finding has shed light on the early inhabitants of a region known for its historical immigration. As Sally Reynolds, a paleontologist and co-author of the study from Bournemouth University, pointed out, "Every discovery that we uncover in White Sands adds to our understanding of the lives of the first people to settle in the Americas."
- The discovery of the 23,000-year-old human footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park in 2021 has significantly impacted our understanding of the early use of technology by Paleoindians, as researchers have suggested they were traveling with rudimentary vehicles.
- In a groundbreaking study published in 2025, a team of US and UK researchers proposed that the drag marks accompanying these ancient footprints were likely left by early humans pulling simple wooden vehicles.
- The paleoindians' use of vehicles, as suggested by this discovery, challenges the previous understanding of their positions and mobility, which was largely limited to the concept of foot travel.
- The positioning and structure of these 1847729671-labeled footprints and drag marks have led some experts to argue that these early inhabitants may have had a more advanced understanding of technology and transportation than previously believed.
