Early Americans

1、 Land Bridge Crossing Water The last ice age began about 200 million years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. During this ice age glaciers formed over the land. These glaciers sucked water from the oceans and caused the oceans to become more shallow exposing more land. Around 15,000 years ago, a

2、small group of wandering big game hunters, nomads, in Siberia followed the mammoth, mastodon, and extinct bison across a land bridge that formed during the last Ice Age. Known as Beringia, it connected Asia to Alaska and northwestern Canada. Each group of nomads that migrated into the Americas only

3、traveled a few miles in their life time, taking thousands of years to reach Alaska. Once in Alaska these nomads had to stop because huge glaciers blocked their paths. Around 12,000 years ago, the glaciers began to disappear opening up a new world to new people. People began to make their way south t

4、o populate all of North and South America. Evidence shows that people lived in the Americas thousand of years before this land bridge exposure can be explained. 1) The land bridge was exposed thousands of years earlier allowing earlier nomads to travel into the Americas. 2) Boats! Some scholars favo

5、r coastal migration theories, in which early settlers used boats to follow the pacific coast along Beringia, or the Pacific ocean itself, and then traveled along the Pacific coast of North America. More controversial theorists wont rule out the possibility of Atlantic ocean crossings from Europe or

6、Africa up to 50,000 years ago. Climate change attributed to many adaptations. The first nomads were giant mammal hunters. They traveled in small groups following mammals, such as mammoths. Most hunting of this time was done with spears but axes and clubs were also used. While living in caves and ten

7、ts made from animal hides these hunters also had to gather nuts and berries in order to survive. These hunters ran into many dangerous predators while hunting, such as saber toothed tigers Once a mammoth was caught and killed: What was the hide used for? What did they do with the 2 tons of meat? Wha

8、t were the bones used for? As the climate continued to change giant mammals became extinct. Now early Americans had to fish, hunt smaller animals, and gather their food. Theses early Americans were no longer nomads, instead of always traveling, they tended to stay in one area. Over time, some early

9、Americans began to farm by planting seeds to grow their own food, instead of searching around for it. The earliest of these farmers lived in Mexico. As these early Americans continued to develop they developed their own cultures and beliefs, and developed into what we know as Native American or Indi

10、an tribes. Built one of the earliest civilizations in the Americas. A civilization is when a culture develops forms of government, religion, and learning. Lived on Mexicos east cost around 1500 B.C. They built many temples, some of which were on the flat tops of large pyramids. Many future civilizat

11、ions were strongly influenced by the Olmecs. They incorporated paved roads and marketplaces into their civilization. They developed their own number system, writing system, and calendar. By 300 A.D. the Olmec civilization was gone and replaced by other civilizations. Around the same time (1000 B.C.

12、200 A.D.), people called the Adenas were building a civilization in the Ohio River valley. The Adena were the first of many ancient civilizations known as mound builders. These civilizations built large mounds known as earthworks. There are many theories as to why they built these mounds but no one

13、knows for sure. Mound burials are the most common theory. People were prepared and cremated after their death, then covered with earth. As more peoples remains were covered, the mounds grew larger. Other mound building civilizations: Hopewells great traders Mississippians largest mound building civi

14、lization whos largest city was located near East St. Louis Located in the southwest U.S., the Anasazi civilization flourished from about 100 B.C. to 1300 A.D. They lived in groups of houses called Pueblos spanish for town or village They houses were multi-storied and made of adobe or stone bricks. These pueblos were built on high hills or into cliff sides and people moved from floor to floor by using ladders. They were expert farmers. /collections/nnac/ http:/ http:/ /arch/saa/matrix/naa/naa_web/images/Culture_areas_All_Labe