In a monumental discovery that is rewriting the timeline of the first human settlements in the Americas, a giant armadillo fossil has revealed early human presence in Argentina 21,000 years ago. The fossilized remains of the extinct creature, a species known as Neosclerocalyptus, were found along the banks of the Reconquista River near Buenos Aires. While the sheer size of the “glyptodont” was impressive.

The new evidence challenges the long-standing “Clovis First” theory, which proposed that the first humans arrived in the Americas around 13,000 years ago, following the opening of a land bridge and an ice-free corridor from Asia. While other recent discoveries, such as the White Sands footprints in New Mexico, have pushed back the timeline of human presence, the butchered armadillo fossil is one of the oldest examples of humans actively hunting and processing large game in the southern part of the continent.

This incredible find underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of archaeological science. The bones of the Neosclerocalyptus are not just a fossil; they are a tangible clue to a lost chapter of human history. The discovery opens up a wealth of new questions about the routes these early peoples took to get to South America, their relationship with the megafauna they co-existed with, and their role, if any, in the subsequent extinction of these colossal animals.