Trampling Skews Artifact Dates?

Sorry, archaeologists. A new study says animal footsteps might have made artifacts seem thousands of years older than they are.

Around the world, the hooves of water buffaloes, goats, and other large animals may have propelled countless Stone Age artifacts back in time, at least as far as archaeologists are concerned.


In wet areas, wild or domestic animals' heavy footfalls can push stone artifacts deep into the ground, making them seem older than they really are—in some cases, thousands of years older—according to a new study.