Over 40 years ago specialists led by archeologist H. Marie Wormington nominated the first earliest American sites as National Historic Landmarks. That pioneering initiative—which mirrored the then-prevailing view of the first inhabitants as big game hunters on the western prairies—bestowed landmark status on New Mexico’s Clovis and Folsom sites, along with nine other properties, all west of the Mississippi Valley.

But the western focus left gaps in understanding as well as representation. The study underpinning this web site–which casts a net for landmarks east of the Mississippi–promises to change that. Discoveries by interdisciplinary teams are shining new light on Ice Age human ecology. Recovery of fish scales, charred nutshells, and other delicate plant and animal remains permit detailed reconstructions of what people ate and how their bodies endured the environmental tumult of the Ice Age. 

Thanks to advances in radiocarbon dating, changes in culture can be plotted with increasing precision. Although questions remain, archeologists now have clearer ideas of where the newcomers lived, how they used the land, and how their use of resources shaped their cultures.

So far, these research innovations have led to the nomination of nine landmarks (including Virginia’s Thunderbird Archeological District, Mississippi’s Hester Site, and North Carolina’s Hardaway site) and the listing of seventy properties on the National Register of Historic Places, two-thirds in the East.

Recent research also reveals the need to update past designations to reflect current developments. This study, by providing contexts for nominating sites as landmarks, aims to expand knowledge as well as protect the precious evidence of this elusive ancient era. 

The new data challenge ideas of when and how the first people arrived and how they adapted to the Ice Age climate. Far from simply hunting big game, they survived in flexible ways, taking advantage of a range of resources. “A new consensus has emerged that in a rapidly changing and diverse environment, one eats what is available,” says University of Massachusetts archeologist Dena Dincauze.

Despite the growing potential for discovery, this fragile record faces daunting challenges. Museums struggle to care for existing collections, making them available for public exhibits, scholars, and Indian people. Public land managers try to raise awareness as they confront the threats posed by erosion, development, casual collectors, and looters.

By providing a framework for nominating new landmarks, the study hopes to foster a focus on preserving and interpreting this legacy for today’s Americans.