Final answer:
The Clovis first paradigm is based on the discovery of Clovis points and the idea that the Clovis people were the first to inhabit the Americas after crossing from Asia. The model is backed by the uniformity of Clovis artifacts across the continent but is challenged by older archaeological sites.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Clovis first paradigm was based on archaeological findings of Clovis points, stone spearheads used for hunting big game, which suggested that the first inhabitants of the Americas were the Clovis people. These people were believed to have crossed over a land bridge from Asia to Alaska and spread through the continent by following a glacier pass east of the Rocky Mountains, between 12,000-11,000 BCE. This model has been supported by the widespread homogeneity of artifacts across North America. However, it has been increasingly challenged by discoveries of earlier sites, such as the Monte Verde site in Chile, revealing that human presence in the Americas may predate the Clovis culture.