Ancient Journey: A Woman's Path Through History Over 10,000 years ago, a woman or young man carried a toddler across a muddy terrain in present-day White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
These ancient footprints offer scientists a remarkable glimpse into the past. This revelation is courtesy of the National Park Service and Bournemouth University.
The prehistoric traveler embarked on a journey carrying a child, returning alone hours later.
In an arduous trek more than 10,000 years ago, a woman or a young man with a toddler balanced on one hip trudged northward through what is now White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Facing potential rain and slippery mud, the traveler briefly set the child down before continuing. Along the way, a woolly mammoth and giant sloth crossed their path. Hours later, the traveler retraced their steps south, now without the child.
Scientists have documented nearly a mile of these fossilized footprints—the longest human trackway of its age ever found. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” says evolutionary biologist Kevin Hatala from Chatham University, who was not involved in the study.
This trackway, featuring over 400 human prints including tiny child prints, is detailed in a new study published in Quaternary Science Reviews. By examining the footprints' shape, structure, and distribution, researchers revealed an intimate portrait of this ancient journey, capturing even the traveler’s toes slipping on the wet surface.
Meticulous Excavation of Footprints Scientists carefully unearthed these delicate footprints, documenting them in three dimensions before they could deteriorate. The tracks also revealed a mammoth and a giant sloth traversing the area after the humans passed. While the mammoth appeared indifferent to the human presence, the sloth likely sensed it, rearing up as modern bears do to detect scents.
Scientists carefully excavate the ancient footprints pressed into the sand before recording them in three dimensions. The structures are extremely delicate and quickly break down once exposed. COURTESY OF NPS AND BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY
“This gives us insight into humans within their ancient ecosystem,” explains study author Sally Reynolds, a paleontologist at Bournemouth University, noting the sloth’s awareness of nearby humans—an insight not gleanable from bones alone.
The 'Ghost Tracks' Fossil footprints provide stunning snapshots of ancient behaviors, preserving moments in time unlike any other remains. “Footprints sites are special because they capture a moment in time,” says paleoanthropologist William Harcourt-Smith from the City University of New York.
This track site, part of an ongoing documentation project at White Sands National Park, owes its discovery to David Bustos, the park’s resource program manager. These shallow impressions, visible only through slight moisture-induced color changes, became known as “ghost tracks.”
In 2016, Bustos consulted various specialists about the tracks, including Matthew Bennett from Bournemouth University, who led the new study. Since then, Bennett and his colleagues have made multiple trips to document the array of human and animal prints throughout the park.
The newly studied prints are set in fine sand, held together by a thin salt crust. The team excavated 140 tracks using brushes, and recorded each print with 3D photogrammetry before they could erode.
Piecing Together the Ancient Walk By analyzing the footprints' shape, size, and distribution, researchers pieced together the ancient journey. The primary traveler was likely a woman or young man, based on footprint length comparisons with modern humans. Small child prints join the main trackway in several places, indicating a child under three years old accompanied the traveler.
The traveler's pace was brisk, about 3.8 miles per hour, despite the muddy conditions and carrying a child. In some spots, unusually long strides suggest stepping over obstacles like puddles or mammoth dung.
The child was carried northward, evidenced by larger left foot tracks from bearing extra weight. Upon return, the traveler’s footprints show no size discrepancy, and fewer signs of slipping, indicating they were now unencumbered.
Animal tracks helped estimate the journey's timing. The mammoth and sloth crossed the northbound tracks, and the southbound human prints overlaid the animal tracks, suggesting all were made within a few hours before the mud dried. The presence of extinct animals alongside humans confirms the journey took place over 10,000 years ago.
Connecting to Our Ancestors The discovery resonated deeply with Reynolds, especially upon finding the child’s prints. These tracks were affectionately named “Zoe’s trail” after their unborn daughter.
Much remains unknown about the ancient trek. The traveler's destination and the journey's purpose remain mysteries, as the tracks lead into the inaccessible White Sands Missile Base.
Despite the mysteries, the ancient behavior feels relatable. “It’s a reminder that these people were just like us,” Harcourt-Smith notes. “They walked the landscape in the same way we would.”
The research at White Sands National Park continues, offering nuanced glimpses into the lives of its ancient inhabitants. Reynolds concludes, “These are snapshots of ancient life that reveal attitudes toward other animals and the landscape that we never thought we could uncover.” With time, more stories and mysteries will surely emerge.
