Texas Indians Main Idea: The first people to live in the Americas came from Asia in a series of migrations. Their patterns of living reflected a remarkable adaptation to their environment.

The First Texans Arrive People first came to the Western Hemisphere by migrating from Asia over a land bridge called the Bering Strait about 35,000 years ago. These people were nomads (people who moved from place to place) that followed herds of animals they hunted. They crossed the interior of North America and reached the Texas regions about 10,000 years ago.

Bering Strait 3

Path of migration across Bering Strait land bridge

How did they get here? Freezing temperatures of the Ice Age turns ocean water into glaciers. Ocean levels fall. Bering Strait becomes dry, forming a land bridge between Asia and North America. Early Asian peoples crossed the land bridge at the Bering Strait. “Native Americans” or “American Indians” settle in North America.

Artifacts Are Historical Clues Our knowledge of ancient people comes from: Archaeologists who study artifacts; and Anthropologists who study ancient culture. Rock paintings in caves and canyons in Southwest Texas provide clues about how ancient people lived and viewed themselves. Human bones, like those found near Midland and Leander, provide information about what ancient people looked like.

Early People Hunt for Food Early people lived in small groups and hunted large animals, such as mastodons, mammoths, and giant bison for food. The people had tools and developed a notched throwing stick, or atlatl, for hunting. The hunter-foragers stayed in one area longer than other hunters, but did not settle permanently, always looking for food.

American Indians Progress Hunting Hunting and Gathering Farming

Hunters Become Farmers While hunters and gatherers searched for food in Texas, people in central Mexico were growing their own food. Around A.D. 100, several groups in Texas adopted this settled way of life. Farming changed the people’s way of life because a dependable source of food meant that they could settle in one place. Living in one place led to more complex societies that included craft workers, warriors, and political and religious leaders.

Different Cultures Emerge Culture includes language, customs, clothing, shelter, ways of working and playing, and beliefs. By around the year 1500, when Europeans arrived, many different American Indian people lived in North America.

Different Cultures Emerge People living in Texas belonged to one of four cultures: Southeastern Gulf Pueblo Plains Europeans were later influenced by these cultures to prepare new foods, cultivate plants that would grow well, and hunt native animals.

The Four Cultures of Texas Indians Plains Southeastern Pueblo Gulf Coast

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