a city in central California, in the San Joaquin Valley, north-east of Fresno; population 92,318 (est. 2008)

an agricultural city in eastern New Mexico; population 32,352 (est. 2008). The Clovis culture of 11,000 years ago takes its name from artefacts found nearby

(465–511), king of the Franks 481–511. He extended Merovingian rule to Gaul and Germany, making Paris his capital. After his conversion to Christianity he championed orthodoxy against the Arian Visigoths, finally defeating them in the battle of Poitiers (507)

a Palaeo-Indian culture of Central and North America, dated to about 11,500–11,000 years ago and earlier. The culture is distinguished by heavy leaf-shaped stone spearheads known as Clovis points