Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David hosts a panel of guests, including Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover, to discuss the recent Monte Verde paper by Surovell et al.

They discuss the recent paper, the synopsis, and address the many professionally published comments and critiques of the paper, as well as the conversation of the paper on the YouTube video of the previous episode.

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For decades, Monte Verde in southern Chile has been one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas. The site was widely accepted as 14,500 years old, making it one of the strongest pieces of evidence for human presence in the Americas before Clovis.

But what if that interpretation was wrong?

In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Todd Surovell, professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, to discuss new research that re-examines Monte Verde using modern geoarchaeological methods. The results suggest that the famous site may actually be much younger than previously believed, dating to the Holocene rather than the Ice Age.

If true, this would mean that Monte Verde is not evidence for pre-Clovis humans in South America, and it could force archaeologists to reconsider one of the most influential discoveries in American archaeology.

We discuss:

The history of the Monte Verde discovery

Why it reshaped textbooks in the 1990s

How new geological and dating analyses challenge the original interpretation

What this means for Clovis-first vs. pre-Clovis models

Why independent verification and skepticism are essential in science

This episode explores how science evolves—and how even the most famous discoveries can be re-examined.

Links:

Video Version to follow along

Surovell’s Study

Surovell’s UW Page

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In this episode, David sits down in Nashville with archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, a leading researcher in the archaeology of tattooing and co-editor of Ancient Ink: The Archaeology of Tattooing.

They explore how tattoos function as deep cultural expressions across human societies, from Ötzi the Iceman’s 5,000-year-old tattoos to newly documented tattooed mummies in Peru. The conversation dives into experimental archaeology, ancient tattoo tools made from bone and stone, and what tattoos can reveal about identity, belief, and social structure in the past.

Together they discuss how tattoo traditions changed under empires, how archaeologists identify tattooing in the archaeological record, and why body modification may be one of humanity’s oldest cultural universals.

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Aaron’s Book: Ancient Ink

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In this episode of Ethnocynology, David talks about his recent trip to Mexico. Initially, David went to Oaxaca to experience the local culture and take pictures of dogs, and he also spent a lot of time touring mezcal facilities and archaeological sites.

After Oaxaca, David then took a bus to Mexico City, where he gave a talk about his upcoming book at UNAM, the largest university in Latin America.

As well, David details how incredible the Museum of Anthropology is and takes you on a tour of the museum through his words, describing what he saw and how large and grand the collections and displays are.

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In this episode of Ethnocynology, David talks about the book he's writing, reflects on the recent passing of his dog and his uncle, and what those have in common. With an upcoming trip to Mexico to research dogs in ancient and classical Mexican culture, David weaves in themes of dogs as spiritual constants and symbols of death around the world, including ancient Persia and China. He also asks the audience to consider how dogs and death may go hand in hand in their own lives.
Transcripts
For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ethnocynology/30
Links:
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