Ice-Age Shopping

Long before carts and wheels existed, the prehistoric inhabitants of North America had their own way to move their stuff across muddy terrain with kids in tow.  

Scientists recently found a series of ancient drag marks next to human footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, dating back more than 20,000 years, according to a new study.  

These peculiar marks appear to have been caused by early settlers using wooden travois, simple sled-like structures made from two poles lashed together.  

“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 in the form of wooden vehicles has rotted away,” said the study’s lead author, Matthew Bennett, in a statement. “These drag marks give us the first indication of how they moved heavy and bulky loads around before wheeled vehicles existed.” 

Bennett and his team discovered these marks alongside some of the oldest-known human footprints in the Americas, dating back 23,000 years.  

Some drag marks appeared as single lines – likely made from two poles joined at one end – while others were parallel lines, suggesting a cross-lashed design. 

The researchers wrote in the Conversation that travois have long been known from Indigenous North American traditions. While historical examples were often pulled by dogs or horses, the White Sands tracks suggest a much earlier, human-pulled version.  

To confirm the theories, Bennett’s team recreated travois setups using wooden poles and tested them on mudflats in the United Kingdom and in Maine, US.  

“In our experiments, our footprints and lines (left) in the mud from the poles had the same appearance as the fossilized examples that we found in New Mexico,” Bennett said. 

The authors added that many of the accompanying footprints were made by children, suggesting that as adults hauled supplies, younger members of the group walked with them. 

“It appears to be the ancient equivalent (of a shopping trip), but without wheels,” said Bennett. 

Co-author Sally Reynolds said the study offers a rare window into everyday life during the last Ice Age.  

“These people were the first migrants to travel to North America,” she said in the statement. “Understanding more about how they moved around is vital to being able to tell their story.”