Facts about Arlington Woman
Born: 12th century B.C.
Died: 12th century B.C.
Birthplace: Santa Rosa Island, California, United States
Best known as: Oldest human bones in North America
4 Good Links
Coming Into America
Online companion to the PBS program on early AmericansThe Peopling of the American Continents
Broader themes and details of archaeological theoriesFirst Americans
A collection of articles on the subjectNews of Related Issues
Recent articles from Friends of America's PastShare this:
Arlington Springs Woman Biography
In 1959 Phil C. Orr discovered three ancient human bones on Santa Rosa Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, California. At first it was thought that the remains were those of a 10,000 year old male. The bones were dubbed "The Arlington Springs Man," after the location of the find. With the age of the bones in question, Orr locked them up until 1987, when new methods were used to re-date the remains. In 1993 it was announced that the bones were likely from a woman. It is currently the consensus that they are between 11,000 and 13,000 years old, giving credence to the theory that the first North Americans used watercraft.