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{{Short description|Archaeological site in Venezuela}}

[[File:Petroglifo en taimataima.jpg|thumb|Pre-Clovis petroglyphs in Taima-Taima]]

'''Taima-Taima''' is ana [[Late Pleistocene]] archaeological site located about 20 kilometers east of [[Santa Ana de Coro]], in the [[Falcón]] State of [[Venezuela]].<ref>[httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20110204064205/http://www.primera-clase.com/2011/02/01/parque-arqueologico-y-paleontologico-taima-taima/ Parque Arqueológico y Paleontológico Taima-Taima] (___location)</ref> The human settlement at Taima-Taima started about 14,000 years ago.

==History of research==

The site was investigated starting in 1964 by [[José Cruxent]] (1911-2005), [[Alan Bryan]], [[Rodolfo Casamiquela]], [[Ruth Gruhn]], and [[Claudio Ochsenius]].<ref>[httphttps://books.google.com.ar/books?id=iSd8hm5kImwC&pg=PA418 «Taima-Taima»], ''The concise Oxford dictionary of archaeology'', New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.</ref>

The earliest human occupation goes back to 14,200-12,980 years ago. This indicates a pre-Clovis settlement of [[South America]]; the site is used as evidence for people arriving to South America earlier than previously believed.<ref>Juan Bosco Amores, [httphttps://books.google.com.ar/books?id=6dNzKGOzbmUC&pg=PA11 «Tabla sintética de sitios arqueológicos, norte a sur»], in ''Historia de América'' (animals hunted at the site)</ref>

At Taima-Taima, José Cruxent discovered [[El Jobo]] [[Projectile point|projectile points]], which are believed to be the earliest such artefacts in South America, going back to 14,000 BP. This was a major discovery in [[Paleo-Indians|Paleoindian]] archaeology.<ref>José R. Oliver, [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/taima-taima-text.html Implications of Taima-taima and the Peopling of Northern South America.] bradshawfoundation.com</ref>

Cruxent discovered a mastodon''[[Notiomastodon]]'' pelvic bone that was pierced by a stone spearpoint. Geological and [[radiocarbon dating]] of the find both indicate the date of 13,000 BP (11,000 BC).<ref>[httphttps://web.archive.org/web/19991103105145/http://www.coroweb.com/arqueologia.htm Acerca de los hallazgos en el area de Taima-Taima y Urumaco] (list of prehistoric animals at Taima-Taima).</ref><ref>[http://taimataimalugararqueologico.blogia.com/2010/061604-primer-sitio-de-caceria-de-mastodontes.php Primer sitio de cacería de mastodontes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133715/http://taimataimalugararqueologico.blogia.com/2010/061604-primer-sitio-de-caceria-de-mastodontes.php |date=2016-03-04 }} (dating of finds)</ref>

The earliest human occupation goes back to 14,200-12,980 years ago. This indicates a pre-Clovis settlement of South America; the site is used as evidence for people arriving to South America earlier than previously believed.<ref>Juan Bosco Amores, [http://books.google.com.ar/books?id=6dNzKGOzbmUC&pg=PA11 «Tabla sintética de sitios arqueológicos, norte a sur»], in ''Historia de América'' (animals hunted at the site)</ref>

[[File:Macrauchenia (reconstruction).jpg|thumb|''[[Macrauchenia]]'', a close relative of ''Xenorhinotherium'']]

Cruxent discovered a mastodon pelvic bone that was pierced by a stone spearpoint. Geological and radiocarbon dating of the find both indicate the date of 13,000 BP (11,000 BC).<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/http://www.coroweb.com/arqueologia.htm Acerca de los hallazgos en el area de Taima-Taima y Urumaco] (list of prehistoric animals at Taima-Taima).</ref><ref>[http://taimataimalugararqueologico.blogia.com/2010/061604-primer-sitio-de-caceria-de-mastodontes.php Primer sitio de cacería de mastodontes] (dating of finds)</ref>

Fossils of ''[[Xenorhinotherium]]'' (an extinct animal similar to [[camel]] and [[rhinoceros]]s), dating from the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|Epoch]], have been found in Taima-Taima.<ref>Socorro, O.A.A. 2006. ''Tesoros paleontológicos de Venezuela, el Cuaternario del Estado Falcón''. Taima Taima, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, 120 p.</ref> Other such finds were made in [[Brazil]], and also in Venezuela in the localities of Muaco, and Cuenca del Lago.

===El Jobo projectile points===

Fossils of [[Xenorhinotherium]] (extinct animal similar to [[camel]] and [[rhinoceros]]), dating from the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|Epoch]], have been found in Taima-Taima.<ref>Socorro, O.A.A. 2006. ''Tesoros paleontológicos de Venezuela, el Cuaternario del Estado Falcón''. Taima Taima, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, 120 p.</ref> Other such finds were made in Brazil, and also in Venezuela in the localities of Muaco, and Cuenca del Lago.

At Taima-Taima, José Cruxent discovered [[El Jobo]] [[Projectileprojectile point|projectile points]]s, which are believed to be the earliest such artefacts in South America, going back to 1416,000 BP. This was a major discovery in [[Paleo-Indians|Paleoindian]] archaeology.<ref>José R. Oliver, [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/taima-taima-text.html Implications of Taima-taima and the Peopling of Northern South America.] bradshawfoundation.com</ref>

The bi-pointed El Jobo points were found in the valley of [[Pedregal River]], and were mostly distributed in north-western Venezuela; from the [[Gulf of Venezuela]] to the high mountains and valleys. The population using them were hunter-gatherers that seemed to remain within a certain circumscribed territory.<ref>José R. Oliver, [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/taima-taima-text3.html Implications of Taima-taima and the Peopling of Northern South America.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425071105/http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/taima-taima-text3.html |date=2016-04-25 }} bradshawfoundation.com</ref><ref>Oliver, J.R., Alexander, C.S. (2003). Ocupaciones humanas del Plesitoceno terminal en el Occidente de Venezuela. Maguare, 17 83-246</ref> El Jobo points were probably used for hunting large mammals.<ref name="SilvermanIsbell2008">{{cite book|last1=Silverman|first1=Helaine|last2=Isbell|first2=William|title=Handbook of South American Archaeology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZr-lxQgJiAC&pg=PA433|date=2008|publisher=Springer Science|isbn=978-0-387-75228-0|page=433}}</ref>

The Joboid series of points have been grouped into four successive complexes. The earliest was ''Camare'', then ''Las Lagunas'', ''El Jobo'', and ''Las Casitas''. The Camare and Las Lagunas complexes lack stone projectile points. The Camare tool complex has been dated to 22,000-20,000 years ago. El Jobo tool complex has been dated to 16,000-9,000 years ago.<ref name="SilvermanIsbell2008"/>

==See also==

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==Bibliography==

*Ochsenius, C. and R. Gruhn, eds. (1979) ''Taima-taima. A Late Paleo-Indian Kill Site in Northernmost South America''. Final Reports of the 1976 Excavations. CIPICS/South American Quaternary Documentation Program. Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany (includes chapters by J. M. Cruxent, A. L. Bryan, R. Gruhn, R. M. Casimiquiela and C. Ochsenius)

*Jaimes Queros, A. (2003) ''El Vano, una nueva localidad paleo-india en el nor-occidente de Venezuela''. Maguaré No. 17, pp.&nbsp;46–64. Gerardo Ardila Calderón, ed. Revista del Departamento de Antropología de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá Colombia.

*Oliver, J.R., Alexander, C.S. (2003). Ocupaciones humanas del Plesitoceno terminal en el Occidente de Venezuela. Maguare, 17 83-246

== External links ==

*José R. Oliver, [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/taima-taima-text.html Implications of Taima-taimaTaima and the Peoplingpeopling of Northern South America.] bradshawfoundation.com

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Venezuela]]

[[Category:Rock art in South America]]

[[Category:Paleontology in Venezuela]]

[[Category:Pre-Clovis archaeological sites in the Americas]]

[[Category:Pleistocene paleontological sites of South America]]