Ice Age Columbus: Who Were the First Americans?

Ice Age Columbus: Who Were the First Americans?

2005, Science  -    -  Playlist 116 Comments
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Ratings: 7.78/10 from 59 users.

Ice Age Columbus: Who Were the First Americans?Traditional history tells us that European settlers discovered America about the time of the Renaissance. But revolutionary new archaeological data and the latest DNA research reveal that Europeans visited our shores far earlier - some 17,000 years before Columbus was even born.

Filmed in glorious high definition, this two-hour, epic drama follows an intrepid family of stone age hunters as they trek from their homeland in southwestern France, cross 3,000 miles of ocean and eventually make their first permanent settlement in what is today the northeastern U.S.

Along the way, they overcome starvation and storms with the help of a revolutionary weapons technology they would later bequeath to the native peoples of the Americas.

But awaiting the pioneers' arrival is a stark, empty continent, filled with a plethora of bizarre and lethal animals - all brought to life by brilliant computer animation. Firmly rooted in the latest scientific discoveries, it's a compelling vision of the greatest migration in human history.

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Nina Paula
Nina Paula
5 years ago

I wrote a sincere, albeit critical, opinion about the documentary: the actress who played Zia wore make-up throughout; One male actor had a partially shaved modern hair style; and, having studied the pre-history of the current USA, I question the facts presented to prove that the first human born in America was a northern European. Apparently, comment was not acceptable.

Paula
Paula
5 years ago

To be a documentary, it needs to have more scientifically factual data. It bothered me that facts, real findings in all of North America, do not line up with the "documentary" assertions. It came across to me as a thinly veiled attempt to justify the White Nationalist view of the world. It also bothered me that Zia had beautifully plucked and shaped eyebrows and was never without well done make-up. I guess the actress couldn't bring herself to actually look like a cave person. And one of the young men had a skin-head- shaved type haircut.

amanda
amanda
5 years ago

If we all came from Africa then white people are Africans too, wouldn't all of you who believe that theory say?

amanda
amanda
5 years ago

Ms. Garcia, Florida nor Georgia were ever a part of Mexico, if that is your statement. Your hatred of white people doesn't take away the fact that there is evidence of caucasian people being here before the Indians of America. I also just saw a documentary of New Zealand and the Polynesians Maori tribe arrived there 800 years ago and there was evidence of blonde haired and red headed people already existing there but the politically correct climate has all but erased their ancient history. In area of Northern China there are gravesites with mummified tall redheaded and blonde people. There is a lot we don't know and your hatred and many others of the white race or caucasoid type of people cannot erase facts. You may distort it with your hatred but you cannot erase the truth.

Ms.Garcia
Ms.Garcia
7 years ago

Correction: Oscar Wilde

Ms.Garcia
Ms.Garcia
7 years ago

"The only duty we owe to history is the rewrite it."-Oscar Wild ....And rewrite is all you people do!

The truth is that ALL OF THE AMERICAS (SOUTH, CENTRAL & NORTH AMERICA) was already occupied by Aboriginals; as in Brown people with red undertones like copper pennies who were already living here when the Mongrols showed up and mixed in with them (adding yellow undertones) just as the land was already inhabited when Columbus showed up. The only difference is that Europeans came to kill and conquer not assimilate or co-exist as the Mongols did. There is enough oral, anthropological and scientific evidence proving this but some people would rather believe and build on theories and out right fantasy than truth and logic. Some people choose to believe that absolutely no-one lived in Texas, California, Lousiana, Georgia , Florida or any where in North America even though many of these states were previously a part of Mexico which is geographically connected and therefore walkable and a warm walk at that to Central and South America which we know were occupied? Some people would rather believe a big wall of ice blocked out all humans until it melted allowing the Bering Straits passage. LOL What they mean is THEIR people didn't have access before the Bering Straits opened up. The egos of White people wont let them admit that they were last on the scene and that they took control by using predatory, unconscionable vicitious, animalistic ways of their ancestor the Neanderthal. Their egos wont let them demonstrate integrity in many other ways either. And, that's the truth. (I'm speaking of Whites on a whole as a people. Of course this does not ally to every individual.)

Zhong
Zhong
8 years ago

" kennewick skeleton " is clearly native american,duh!

JayL
JayL
8 years ago

Just curious how the film makers of this extraordinary documentary came up with the language that the Solutreans spoke.

Eldergothfather
Eldergothfather
8 years ago

Everyone who wants to take credit for 'Europeans' settling America take this into account along with your lack of education....1) there were NO Europeans 10, 20, 30 thousand years ago, there were no Americans there were just people and these people still descended from the earliest man from Africa...test your own DNA, even if you're white and see how pure it is. In fact about the only 'pure' Caucasians are the Icelanders. If you think that this documentary somehow now gives you the 'right' to wave a confederate flag and yell yahoo whites were here first, you and an uneducated bigoted hate fomenting moron. And EVEN IF whites were here first then the actual white Europeans who settled from Columbus on down abused your ancestors no matter what the original color of their skin was so you simply can't take that away. There also happens to be evidence and theories about an Indigenous people crossing over to the mainland on what is now the European continent....they were ALL just people, no nationality, no idea of race just tribal affiliation so pull your head out of whatever orifice you keep it in and have some knowledge dropped on you before you put your paws to the keyboard again. Sheesh!

samuel kingma-lord
samuel kingma-lord
8 years ago

Does anyone know what language they speak? What dialect?

Mr. Show
Mr. Show
8 years ago

I don't feel it makes a convincing, confident argument. It is definitely possible, or do you think that only polar bears get trapped in an ice flow? It presents a reasonable hypothesis, and doesn't claim to be fact. The problem I have with this documentary is that Zia's presence would have been highly unlikely. Clearly she was in her prime child baring years, she would have been back in her village tending to her children.

The exiles that discovered her looking at their dead deer would have wasted no time in savagely raping her, repetitively. Alternatively, they may have fought over her like a trophy, then the raping would commence. Regardlessly, the exiles would have immediately killed her brother and "husband" (Marriage didn't exist until about 10000 years after these events allegedly took place when it was invented by religion).

In all but the dying of scurvy and malnutrition scenes, they all seem to have perfect teeth. Does anyone else feel this would be highly unlikely?

Terry
Terry
9 years ago

Here is one of the many proofs that the first Americans were actually White Europeans, not the Indians. Besides, why do we call the American Indians, Indians. Did they come from India? No. They came from Asia. It was Columbus that first called them Indians because he thought that he landed in India. The first Americans were actually from Europe not Asia, and at last 1/3 of the Indian population are direct descendants of white Europeans. This includes the Ojibwa, the Cheyenne, the Shawnee, the Crow, the Snake Indians, the Cherokee, and many more tribes. The Cherokee to this day celebrate the Old Testament festival the feast of booths.

Kayaker Drew
Kayaker Drew
10 years ago

I read in Bryan Sykes book, "DNA USA, A Genetic Portrait of America", pub.- Liveright Publishing Corp., 2012, Chapter 4, "The Mystery of Cluster X", page 46 and 47,"four predominant mitochondrial clusters (mDNA) among Native Americans...closest matches in Asia, ..three (A, C, and D) originated in Siberia, and one (B) farther south in Taiwan and China. In 1997 a number of number of rare and sporadic sequences had been found in Native Americans that were recognized as belonging to a separate cluster...called X. A study of the Ojibwa Tribe, who live primarily around the US-Canada border and the Great Lakes regions, found that a quarter of the Ojibwa volunteers mDNA was this different Cluster X. Apparently, about 4% of the Dine, Navajo people, are Cluster X. No trace of this cluster in Siberia or Alaska, and only one person in China. Lots of Cluster X mDNA is found in Europeans, but the Ojibwa sequences have some different mutations, suchas a variant at 213, according to Mr. Sykes. But his X Cluster nickname of Xenia mDNA and Ojibwa mDNA show the same at sequence at 189, 223, 278. There is to be expected some differences, Sykes thinks, after a long period of isolation. And the most recent date estimate for Cluster X in America is 15,800 years ago. If anyone is really interested in this, they can also go look it up in "American Journal of Human Genetics 60 (1997), 241, R. Scozzari et al". Now best evidence for Ancient DNA and an earlier arrival of Cluster X is Windover, Florida. It was a woody marsh 8,000 years ago and used as regular burial site by Native Americans. In the 1980's, 177 bodies were recovered along with carved bone, wood artifacts, and about half had intact skulls. The very early days, suchas the 1980's, in DNA recovery was not so good as today and Sykes review of the Windover data only sees one had the core Cluster X sequence motif of 223 278. If genuine, he says, it could lower the limit of 8,000 years on the antiquity of Cluster X in America. Whether Cluster X mDNA in America came from Europeans, as it seems to have, is not accepted or truly proven beyond any doubt, but for now it looks to be a good possibility.

Black Scholar
Black Scholar
10 years ago

Egyptians got their knowledge from nubians/ethiopians. These people were the mothers and fathers of Egyptians. Then the pale faces came back and started stealing Egypts Sh!t. They they squat (jews) and ran away with their religion. Then the rest of the pointy nose folks came and camped. The black folks couldn't take them and migrated. I mean, everywhere black people goes - here comes whitey stealing raping and destroying. What haven't ya'll destroyed on this planet?

Psychopaths

bringmeredwine
bringmeredwine
10 years ago

Like "America Before Columbus", this doc was interesting and educational.
Visually the video was very blurry at times, so sometimes I had to use the smaller screen.
I felt sorry for Zia, stuck with all those men!
hahahaha!
There's so much to be learned by studying our genes.
My hat goes off to our biologists, anthropologists and geneticists, who make new discoveries like this possible.

halzo82gmail.com
halzo82gmail.com
10 years ago

Just wanted to help some people out with the claim that "Ancient Egyptians were black" comments.... So there are 3 types of humans (breeds if you will) essentially... They are The Caucazoids *White people including the middle easterners*.... The Negroids *Black Africans*.... And Mongoloids *People that look asian.....Asians with slanted eyes if you will*........They can tell what "Breed" of human you are by bone structure (mostly facial).... and the overwhelming majority of all the skeletons from ancient Egypt were of the Caucazoid type. This is not a speculation... this is a fact.... sorry racist black people. Were not gonna give up ancient Egypt that easily!!!

dee bee
dee bee
10 years ago

what utter hogwash haha. all i had to do was read plot and as far as im concerned it was the viking not stone age people and as for the first americans that would have to be the indigenous people

Truestory
Truestory
10 years ago

This is nothing more than fanciful propoganda, it ranks right alongside Joseph Smith and the entire Mormon nonsense. There is something profoundly eerie and Europeans are desperate to write themselves into the historical record as the race of human origin... You can't have it all guys.

Politiqu
Politiqu
11 years ago

The premise of this story is disturbing. Hello....? Asia....Bering Strait....? Look at the people were "discovered"! They were not white/Caucasian/whatever caste system classification people are using these days to describe their ancestry, they were of Asian descent. Hence, the original North Americans did not look like the the original Europeans.

The people who made this are so silly and need to get a grip.

eztalk
eztalk
11 years ago

Made a mistake......thought the discussion of this film would be intelligent, not the usual troll-like language of some. *sigh*

The remarks that are intelligent, thank you for your insights.

Ajax Solution
Ajax Solution
11 years ago

Neat documentary, but the "evidence" sprinkled throughout the program has not been accepted as factual. It should also be noted that there is zero evidence that the culture currently labeled as Solutrean has yet to be proven to have existed in North America because the artefactual samples proposed by scientists such as Dr. Stanford have been challenged by a majority of other scientists from his own field.

One of the major challenges is the entire presumption that they traveled along the edge of the North Atlantic Ice-sheet. That entire episode reflected in this documentary is 100% conjecture and speculation and Dr. Stanford's only defense for his case is that evidence of raft/kayak/boat making specifically by the Solutreans may have been swept away over time or is still buried 20-50 miles off the Eastern coast seabed. He also doesn't explain why these people stopped using their boats once reaching soil-rich lands. Why didn't they refine their boatmaking and take their ships south along the Eastern coast down to Florida, Cuba, South America, and the Gulf of Mexico? That's what the settlers from Asia did on both sea, lakes, and rivers.

Furthermore, His idea that they mingled with Asian-origin peoples isn't supported by his argument of the Haplogroup "X" marker. The Haplogroup X2a found in some genetic markers of peoples of indigenous ancestry in North America IS NOT traced to the same genetic marker "X" found in "some" Western Europeans, North Africans, and Middle-Easterners where "X" has revealed itself in a small portion of the populations. Also, the time line for the X marker dates back over 30,000 years ago and its origins stem from Haplogroup N from Africa not Europe.

At the end of the day this drama plays more like a story of fiction rather than a documentary.

minority report
minority report
12 years ago

This "documentary" is a farce.

17,000 years ago the ice age European landed in what is now N.America?

Truly laughable hypothesis.

Knaandiid
Knaandiid
12 years ago

whats wrong with u yanks... always talking about this pointless **** its don't matter, its all distant history, no one can really be more or less proud of the achievements of OUR forefathers... cause non of us where their...

panagiotis
panagiotis
12 years ago

Nubian were dark skined but had no affiliation with MODERN DAY africans meaning the black race.. and egyptians are not africans nor arabs all that so called stolen legacy or higher technology is crap just like Black Athena reserved for people who cant create their own civilization and try to steal other achievements to feel better with their miserable contribution to world civilization..the so called empires were just kingdoms whatever that means that had no impact in world affairs ....who cares about them anyway ...greeks had several empires ,chinese,romans if you wanna call empire a bunch of villages and cities bound together be my guest and use tales and fairies combined with different racial evidence of extinct peoples to baptize them africans go ahead make us laugh...freedom of speech aka freedom of ignorance..

Khurshid Anwer
Khurshid Anwer
12 years ago

A great documentary,a great effort, really focuses at the fact that the man only believes what it knows and the knowledge remains inferior to each discovery which humbles the earlier scholars and their thoughts, only God is an exception who knows all,

joeswim1948
joeswim1948
12 years ago

If you think that Africans were here before Columbus, you are probably African American. What's the difference, unless you passionately believe so.

ObamaATL
ObamaATL
12 years ago

There were actually Africans that came to America hundreds of years before Columbus. Historical data proves this. I've just recently learned about it and found it interesting. Others may find what I said interesting as well, so that is why I am typing this comment.

panthera f
panthera f
12 years ago

Europeans always looked beyond their borders. ;-)

Xbow
Xbow
12 years ago

A Native American friend of mine gets bent out of shape at the suggestion that Solutrean people might have hit the shores of America first. Does it matter?

Rob Reason
Rob Reason
12 years ago

Truth is Truth, but in my opinion, who's on 1st or 2nd doesn't matter. Unless its going to bring about Harmony & Peace between Us all. Like Jo McKay said: We are all One People.... Pass The Popcorn :)

Jo aka polar jo
Jo aka polar jo
13 years ago

@ LeighaKhemet - thanks (I think)... my first gleaming hammer :)

LeighaKhemet
LeighaKhemet
13 years ago

JO MCKAY hits the nail of truth right on the head with a gleaming hammer. But I don't think tyrannts will ever want to face the truth and intill they do the war goes on and on and on and on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LeighaKhemet
LeighaKhemet
13 years ago

I really understand the importance of history what I don't like is for all the facts about "HISTORY" to not be included in what some call "Truth" or maybe it's the truth that only some want to hear and others decide it's ok to take away from or add false knowledge to. That is why when I see or hear certain "FACTS" I don't just rely on some video of what "Could Be" but only what "IS" and "EVIDENTALLY/ FACTUALLY is studied to be.

Jo McKay
Jo McKay
13 years ago

Not new info, however, still debated hotly - hard to argue with dna markers don;t you think? On an aside, a few of my aunts grew up during very euro-centric times in Canada; they were known to claim that their half-breed status was really from a 'dark french' side of our ancestry, :) , haha, how right they may have unintentionally been. Another irony (when modern europeans arrived again 400 years ago, it turns out they attempted to: colonise, enslave, assimilate, and exterminate 'their OWN' ancient ancestors - I say 'attempted, because obviously First Nations, and our culture and many of our languages, have survived) ... So early Europeans & Asians hey; where did we wander from before that? Oh yeah, Africa - bottom line, we are all related, we are all one people - I hope it doesn't take too much longer before 'we' learn how to "deal". (Somebody pass the popcorn :)

Dodgy
Dodgy
13 years ago

Liked this one - plenty of twists in the story.

Nabotinam
Nabotinam
13 years ago

I liked it a lot and found this very interesting, the 1/4 of Objibway DNA being European was a convincing factor here, i wonder if the hypothesis will stick the test of time.

bovinebuddy
bovinebuddy
13 years ago

If europeans actually came here and were assimilated, would there not be any residual DNA trace of there existence here?
Or could it possibly be that it was a one-time fluke, they crossed camped out here for a while, and not being able to withstand the climate or wildlife died off?

hmmmmm.....

Andy
Andy
13 years ago

Very interesting. I think it is a very plausible idea given the evidence that europeans were the first to inhabit the americas. we need to remember that it is just a theory, and that theories can morph and even be proven false upon further research, better technology, and future archaeological findings. Furthermore, arguments based on race following these findings should not even come up. This is science, and the truth should be the ultimate goal no matter what your ancestry is.

Techn8ve
Techn8ve
13 years ago

First off, how many NDN's are here on this site??

Secondly, what the hell happened to the old thinking that no one was here before the "Clovis" people only 13,000 tears ago. Seems to me that certain people of pale skin might be trying to rewrite history again. Some stone tool was found and it just has to be european or wasichu fabricated because the poor, underdeveloped "red" man didn't have the smarts to do it?? Just an attempt to further the eminent domain agenda, yes we had a right to take it all, manifest destiny remember. Proving in any way possible that we was here before them damn "redskins"!!
Damn it's a good thing this didn't come in Custer's time. Btw, have any of ya' put some thought into the idea that maybe humanity didn't only start in Africa??? Just because evidence hasn't been found don't mean it's just a silly idea. Think about it, most of the evidence has been found in nice mostly barren places. Guess we'll have to wait for the rainforest to be consumed to find out. Us Natives get a little irked at the idea of wasichus claiming to be here before us, thats just laughable to us all. C'mon let us keep something dammit!!! LOL!!
Anyway, keep your brains open the next great theory or discovery just might be evidence of human habitation in South America older than any in Africa!! There's ancient pyramids down that way too, built by injuns so keep it quiet. Ha!Ha!!

roland gopel
roland gopel
13 years ago

there's so much i could say (rant lol) here.... but in a nutshell. this is a docco. it expounds some theory based on available evidence. it is NOT proof of life the universe and everything. as for the race dilemma... there are bullies on each and every side of the fence. whatever our personal views might be, none of them can change the past. we only have the present to work with and a future to look forward to. i think its hight time we all stopped thinking in terms of race. perhaps thinking in terms of cultures is better than in terms of race. these days i think of myself as an earthling. i think the world is becoming too small for separate races (and even separate countries). there is plenty for EVERYBODY except bullies for whom there will NEVER be enough. i sincerely think that there is even plenty of scope for everybody to embrace and enjoy the variety of cultures on planet earth. god it would be sooooo boring if we were all the same.
enjoy!!

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

Sigh, Why always about race. And it comes from both sides. on one side it's the moron whites saying that all good comes from pale skinned culture..dopes. On the other any minority that howls that all whites are the one previously mentioned. We are talking about friggin cave men here I believe that it is entirely possible that they coexisted and comingled with no problem at all. One reason for this belief is that the natives did not immediately exterminate the whites when they came here but shared their knowledge and culture with them. That occured throughout European settlement and advancement in the new world. I hate what happened to the natives as much as the next man but I didn't do it and if i had a chance today wouldn't do it so leave me be. There is evidence of European, Asian, and Polynesian influences on this continent. Only a racist regardles of color has to fight for sole posession of history.

ez2b12
ez2b12
13 years ago

@ Dread

What? You made very little sence above- I think you may be on to something but I'm not sure what it is. How did Bob get involved? Who was telling bed time stories and to whom- and what did any of this have to do with "White weaponry Power". Inquiring minds want to know.

@ Everyone

Hey yall what's been shaking. I am back from the hospital and proud to say my dads is much better for now. We know the time is near though and are trying to prepare, if that is possible. How do you see your path through this? I think it will be just looking for the next step one at a time that will end up prevailing. Any way thanks for the support and friendship, now lets get on with changing the world- One doc, one comment at time right here on TopDoc. I know some are laughing but I see potential to do something extrodinary here- to inform, to include, to discuss, to understand, to change. Yes thats it, "to change" not others but ourselves and in the process we have all become sort of a family- right down to the petty arguements and heart felt apologies. Congratulations Vlatko- your site has taken a life of its own that transcendes intention , you must be very proud. Now I am ranting so I'll shut up and watch some docs, a few have been added since last i was here.

dread
dread
13 years ago

Another white assault on the Native(The ROOTs)of the Americas(Old world).

-Until White weaponry Power exists!! Them try to tell Bed time stories, weather the rest like it or not.
-Well tell them to the Zombies.

-You can FOOL some Peoples Sometimes, But you cannot fool All them peoples All the time- Sir BOb Marley

Just Calm Down white Boy & give Thanks to the peoples who feed you. For 80% of the resources from mother earth is consumed by you white Europeans.

-What More You want..........Mr Ego(EU'genics).

Original Thinker
Original Thinker
13 years ago

I just got done reading the rest of the comments. European peoples in america during the ice age is a fact. DNA testing of specimens from the windover bog and the kennewick skeleton indicate a European presence as early as 9000 years ago. Its verifiable but not widely acknowledged. Look it up its fact not racism.

Original Thinker
Original Thinker
13 years ago

I think the idea here isn't just who was in america first, but that at a time we thought barren of significant migrations appears to be full of them from everywhere!
This also indicates both a sophisticated trade network and technology as well as higher levels of civilization in more established regions during the frigging ICE AGE!
Todays politics are impeding such empirical evidence because it is inconvenient. total bs.

gab007
gab007
13 years ago

If the story is true o not...I don't know.

What I know is that anything is possible (and yes, I can see the plot of this story happening) - and that the truth it's not always what you've learned or what you want to hear.

Nevertheless I've enjoyed it, thanks Vlatko!

Kyle
Kyle
13 years ago

I probably would get it, if only you could explain it. Tell me what I have bought, please

poeticb
poeticb
13 years ago

rtm sounds high ha rock on man

A Hister
A Hister
13 years ago

What this documentary leaves out is that European markers are found only within the mtDNA of the Amerinds. This means that the Amerinds must have killed white males and used white females for sexual purposes.

ez2b12
ez2b12
13 years ago

@ mytwocents

They really killed a real horse? Are you sure? Most of the time they have those disclaimers you know, I didn't see one on here but, wow. I didn't think they actually killed a horse just to make a movie. This can't be right. Some animals rights group would eat them alive, thank god.