Oldest human footprint in the Americas, in Chile 16 Kya

A paper published in PLOS (Moreno K, Bostelmann JE, Macías C, Navarro-Harris X, De Pol-Holz R, Pino M (2019) A late Pleistocene human footprint from the Pilauco archaeological site, northern Patagonia, Chile. PLoS ONE 14(4): e0213572. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213572) reports finding the "oldest human footprint" in America, North or South.

Pilauco, is close to Osorno, in Chile's Patagonian Lake District. This site is very close (60 miles away) to the Monte Verde site, where ancient remains (Pre-Clovis) were found, but their age was questioned.

The team's dating places this footprint at 15,600 years ago. And this is indeed older than any other human footprint in America.

The interesting part is that its age challenges theories about the peopling of America, which had suggested that modern humans entered America some 13,000 years ago.

Here we have a footprint far older than that date, and far, far away from Beringia!

Why should we assume that they were new arrivals? Couldn't these people have reached Chile 20, 25 or even 100 Kya?

See this video on the footprint:

More findings will clarify our doubts.

---

Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2019 by Austin Whittall © 

Hueñauca - Osorno volcano monster

 

This creature is the lord of volcanoes. It is a monster that is described as goat-like, with yellow hair and a long goatee; it is bipedal and stands tall on its hind legs.

A mountain hermit, it lives in caves under volcanic slopes. Its goat appearance is post-Hispanic, what it looked like before is not known; did he resemble Iemisch or was it some variety of wild man?[1]

Its name is the one that the native Mapuche gave Osorno volcano, and which meant "danger in the heights". The foot of this beautiful volcano is bathed on the west by Lake Llanquihue and on the south by Lake Todos los Santos. We have already posted (follow the links) on the monsters that have been reported at both lakes.

Osorno Volcano and Lake Llanquihue. From the Internet.

Bibliography.

[1] Batic, L., (2005). Seres mitológicos argentinos. Diario 1. Patagonia. B. Aires: Ed. Albatros. pp. 64.
[2] El Correo de Santiago. Chile. Online.

---

Lea este post en español

---

Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall © 

Lake Llanquihue - lake of the week

 

Lake Llanquihue.

Our lake of the week. Every week I will post about a different Patagonian lake.

This lake is located at the foot of Osorno Volcano (41°09’ S, 72°47’ W), is Chile’s second largest lake with a surface area of 860 km2 [332 sq. mi.]. It is 70 m [229 ft.] above sea level and is 350 m [1,147 ft.] deep, so the lake's bottom is well below sea level.

Its Monster

We have only found one reference published in 1999 regarding “a strange aquatic monster” which was seen by Puerto Varas and Ensenada; it had “a long neck, similar to an anaconda, with the back of a pachyderm and nine meters long”. This being has a “plesiosaur” appearance.[1]

See it on our MAP

Bibliography.

[1] Badal, G. and Coloane, F., (2005). Chile: país oceánico. Santiago: Ocho Libros Edit. pp. 44. Citing: Ampuero R., (1999). ¿Un monstruo en elLago Llanquihue? Diario Austral. Temuco, Chile. 10.01.1999.


Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters

Lake Todos los Santos creature

 

Lakes in Los Lagos, Chile. Copyright © 2009 by Austin Whittall

in the 1956 yearbook of the Chilean Mountaineering Federation (Federacion de Andinismo y Excursionismo de Chile), we have found another "lake monster" at Lago Todos Los Santos.

Set in the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, east of Lake Llanquihue (this Lake of the week - see left sidebar and map above) it flows into Reloncavi Fjord. It is surrounded by three volcanos: Osorno (2.652 m - 8,695 ft.), Puntiagudo (2.190 m - 7,180 ft.) and, on the border between Argentina and Chile, Mount Tronador (3.354 m - 11,652 ft. in Argentina, the International peak is slightly lower at 3.478 m).

Lago Todos los Santos (Lake of All Saints) also known due to its color as Esmeralda (Emerald), has a surface of 178 km² (69 sq. mi) is 337 m (1,104 ft.) deep and 198 m (650 ft.) above sea level.

It is described as "a monster" having "a long tail that ends in a spear head which is in some way related to the monster Pillán of Osorno volcano, which the natives believed was the lair of demons and monsters.

This monster is also known by the name of "Hueñauca".

Bibliography.

Grupo de Montaña Perros Alpinos. Citing: Federacion de Andinismo y Excursionismo de Chile "anuario de montaña" 1956 Santiago

---

Lea este post en español

---

Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©