Human habitation of the region dates back thousands of years,[38] with some early archaeological findings in the area dated to at least the 13th millennium BC, although later dates around the 10th millennium BC are more securely recognized. Evidence exists of human activity at Monte Verde in Llanquihue Province, Chile, dated to around 12,500 BC.[2] The glacial-period ice fields and subsequent large meltwater streams would have made settlement difficult at that time.