Ancient Indigenous people in New Mexico lived through extreme climate change 23,000 years ago, study suggests - Live Science

Researchers have revealed the climate that some of the first people in North America experienced around 23,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum.

By Patrick Pester Edited by Laura Geggel , Kristina Killgrove , Laura Mondrag n Published 14 October 2026 In News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works .

New evidence suggests that some of the first people in the Americas witnessed major climate changes in New Mexico more than 20,000 years ago. (Image credit: Davide Bonadonna) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Some of the first people in North America lived through extreme climate change at the peak of the last ice age, a new study suggests.