Way back 22,000 years ago, early humans may have come up with a clever way to haul their stuff —leaving behind telltale grooves right alongside their own footprints in what we now call White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
Fresh research suggests these marks were made by a travois —a simple transport tool made from two poles tied together to carry heavy loads. If true, this would be one of the earliest examples of human-engineered transport, long before wheels rolled onto the scene.
A team of researchers analyzed these ancient tracks in a study, carefully weighing different explanations. In the end, they determined that prehistoric people likely dragged a travois across the ground, etching these lines into the sediment as they moved their belongings from place to place.
Groovy discoveries in the sand
White Sands National Park isn’t just famous for its stunning landscapes —it’s also a prehistoric traffic jam of ancient footprints. From mammoths and giant ground sloths to some of the earliest known human tracks (dating back 22,000 years), this place is a time capsule of movement. These traces are spread across Alkali Flat, an area that was once home to Paleolake Otero, a massive Ice Age lake that dried up long ago, leaving behind more than just a thirst for history.
At Alkali Flat, researchers uncovered lines etched into the sediment, always appearing alongside footprints. After carefully analyzing them, they classified the markings into three distinct categories:
- Type I: Deep, narrow grooves that sometimes split into two—think of them as the “choose-your-own-adventure” tracks.
- Type II: Broad, shallow channels that tend to stay in a straight line, like nature’s version of a well-paved highway.
- Type III: Two parallel lines running side by side, possibly left by an X-shaped travois, proving that even in ancient times, people knew the value of a sturdy set of drag marks.
Tracking down the truth
To crack the case of these ancient grooves, researchers explored a handful of other possibilities—maybe they weren’t made by humans at all. Could they have been left by animals? Floating debris? The keel of some prehistoric boat? Even firewood? They put all these theories to the test.
Alkali Flat isn’t exactly short on animal prints —it’s so full of mammoth and mastodon tracks that it’s nicknamed the “mammoth trample ground”. But the mystery lines didn’t match the usual marks left by mammoths dragging their trunks or giant ground sloths scraping their tails along the ground.
What about flotsam—branches and tree trunks that might have drifted in from the long-gone Paleolake Otero? That idea sank fast. Researchers noted that the lines at Alkali Flat sit above lake sediment, not within it, ruling out water as the culprit. With the usual suspects eliminated, the travois theory became the strongest contender.
The original moving crew: Prehistoric travois users
The best explanation for these ancient grooves? Early humans using a travois to lug their gear. This tool, which later became a staple in Indigenous cultures across the Great Plains, was usually pulled by dogs or horses —but at Alkali Flat, researchers believe it was people doing the heavy lifting.
Adding to the story, the footprints found next to these tracks come in a range of sizes, suggesting that kids may have tagged along while an adult pulled the load. Picture it: a prehistoric moving day with little ones stomping beside their parents, maybe even offering some tiny words of encouragement.
If these tracks and prints really date back 22,000 years, as the evidence suggests, they beat the earliest known wheeled vehicles by a whopping 17,000 years —making the travois one of humanity’s first real transport innovations. Who needs wheels when you’ve got good old-fashioned ingenuity (and a strong back)?
Source: eladelantado.com
