North America, Central America, and South America

 Most scientist and historians believe that the first Americans arrived via a land bridge. The bridge was called Beringia, it was during the last Ice Age in which the frozen water caused a drop in sea level which created a bridge over the gap that is today known as the Bering Straight. (p. 237) The Ice Age that is believed to allow this to happen lasted from roughly 1,900,000 – 10,000 BC.

 Early Americans were thought to have crossed following large game like bison and mammoth.  Hunter-Gatherers  Early Americans migrate from Alaska, through Central America, all the way to the Southern tip of South America.

 When early Americans in today’s Central Mexico discovered they could raise crops like MAIZE, squash, gourds, beans, avacados, and chiles; they began to abandon the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.  Maize – is a variety of corn that became the most important crop to early Americans.

 Could very easily feed an entire family, with minimal effort.

 Also known as “Central America”  Olmec  Zapotec

 Mesoamerica’s first known civilization  Lived in the jungles of Southern Mexico  Know as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica, because it influenced all civilizations that are formed after it in Mesoamerica.

 Hot unforgiving climate with up to 100 inches of rainfall annually.  The rainforest climate they lived in provided many raw materials like salt, tar, clay, wood, and rubber.  The hills to the north of their civilization provided stone with which they built enormous stone head carvings.

 Built large earthen mounds and pyramids believed to be a burial mound for a great Olmec ruler. (100 ft. tall pyramid, not any where near the size of Egypt’s pyramids).  Believed to have worshiped a jaguar like creature due to the discovery of several half-jaguar half-human stone sculptures and carvings.

 Lived in southwest Mexico in an area called the Oaxaca Valley  The Oaxaca Valley has extremely fertile soil, a very mild climate, and enough rainfall to support agriculture.  Built large stone statues and carvings hinting at their contact and influence of the Olmec culture.

 500 BC the Zapotec built a large city named Monte Alban which housed 15,000 to 25,000 people.  Monte Alban was the first urban center in the Americas, connecting large pyramids, towers, and palaces made of stone.

 Aztecs  Maya  Inca  Ch. 16 N.A. student powerpoint  portal.com/academy/lesson/mesoamerican- civilizations-the-olmecs-to-cortes.html#lesson portal.com/academy/lesson/mesoamerican- civilizations-the-olmecs-to-cortes.html#lesson