Ancient 'ghost footprints' found on US Air Force training range
A collection of 88 "ghost footprints" dating back 12,000 years have been discovered on a US Air Force training range.
Archaeologists discovered the ancient tracks at the Utah Test and Training Range.
They are called "ghost footprints" because of how they were preserved.
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Researchers in the US have discovered ancient "ghost footprints" in Utah. US Air Force/R Nial Bradshaw
The now-arid region would have been a wetland in the Pleistocene era, and the footprints appeared to be of a group of people, including children, walking barefoot in shallow water.
Beneath the sand was a layer of mud that preserved the print when the sand was filled in.
"We found so much more than we bargained for," Hill Air Force Base cultural resource manager Anya Kitterman said in a statement.
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The prints were formed when the arid area was covered by wetlands. US Air Force/R Nial Bradshaw
The prints sit alongside other recent discoveries including an open-air hearth, or fire pit, that dates to about 12,300 years ago, about 1km from the footprints.
Archaeologists have also found burnt bird bones, charcoal and numerous artifacts such as projectile points and stone tools.
Evidence was also found for the earliest known human use of tobacco in the world.
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"We have also collected the infill of the prints to see if we can find organic materials to radiocarbon date," lead investigator Dr Daron Duke said.
"We want to further detail the prints themselves as to who comprised the group and how they were using the area.
"We are also talking to Native American tribes about their perspectives on the prints."
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