Life in PREHISTORIC Texas

Early Americans The first people in America crossed a LAND BRIDGE from Asia in search of food. The land bridge formed out of ice during an ICE AGE.

Early Americans The earliest Americans couldn’t write. We have no record (history) of their daily life. They were PREHISTORIC (before history).

There are 3 PREHISTORIC ERAS. era – a period of time

1. PALEO-INDIAN ERA paleo – ancient; really really OLD They used SPEARS to hunt giant animals (mammoths, mastodons). We think of them as “Cave men”.

1. PALEO-INDIAN ERA The giant animals became EXTINCT (disappeared completely), but the humans survived. MIDLAND MINNIE is a Paleo-Indian woman whose bones were found near Midland.

2. ARCHAIC ERA People began hunting smaller animals. ATLATL – weapon using dart points launched from a notched stick.

2. ARCHAIC ERA While men HUNTED, women GATHERED roots, seeds, and berries. They began to tame dogs for hauling. ABILENE MAN – remains of a man from the Archaic Period

3. FORMATIVE ERA (Late Prehistoric Era) People began planting CROPS. People began staying in VILLAGES. They began to use the BOW & ARROW.

GREAT CIVILIZATIONS EMERGE Two great empires appeared south of Texas in MESOAMERICA (central America).

1. MAYA They had royal families, high priests, and nobility. They built giant pyramids. They studied astronomy. They had accurate calendars. They disappeared mysteriously.

2. AZTEC (Mexica) Tenochtitlan was their great city. It stood where Mexico City is today. They built huge pyramids and temples.

AGRICULTURE Farming fed more people than hunting. Food could be stored and protected in pottery. People began to stay in one place instead of chasing after food.

AGRICULTURE Farming led to population growth and settlement in villages. Not all prehistoric people became farmers; some still hunted or fished. Different CULTURAL GROUPS (tribes) developed.