9.1 The Earliest Americans

A Land Bridge The American Continents American continents of North America and South America stretch 9,000 miles The First Americans come from Asia over Beringia—a land bridge.

A Land Bridge Peopling of Americas During Ice Ages glaciers extend over much of North America. Sea levels drop; a land corridor is created between Asia and Alaska First Americans arrive in the last Ice Age, 1.9 million to 10,000 B.C. Siberian hunters follow animals from Asia to Americas

A Land Bridge Peopling the Americas (continued) Date of the first crossing might be from 40,000 to 10,000 B.C. Recent findings suggest it happened earlier than previously thought. Most experts believe first Americans used land bridge Other believe people came by boat.

Hunters and Gatherers Chief Prey The mammoth is the largest prey of early Americans. The mammoth provides materials for food, clothing, shelter, tools.

Hunters and Gatherers Following the Game Hunters turn to smaller animals when mammoths die out. People also fish and gather plants and fruits At the end of the last Ice Age, glaciers melt and seas cover the land bridge. By 10,000-12,000 years ago, people had spread across the Americas

Spearheads Spearheads similar to these were first discovered near Clovis, New Mexico, and later throughout North America. Many of these artifacts date back to around 9500 B.C.

Analyzing Artifacts About 6000 B.C. About A.D. 1 About 2500 B.C. Other points, buried beneath a layer of volcanic ash, are the oldest of all. They are about 8,000 years old. The ash arrived in the Calgary area about 6,300 years ago when Mount Mazama exploded. Deposits beneath this ash are older than the eruption. The bones above are the remains of a young bison butchered at the site. About A.D. 1 The Pelican Lake style points are the youngest or most recent. They are about 2,000 years old. About 2500 B.C. The McKean style points are in the middle range. They are about 4,500 years old.

Agriculture Creates a New Way of Life The Development of Farming Around 7,000 B.C., people in Mexico begin to raise crops from seeds. By 3400 B.C., maize—corn—becomes the staple crop there. People in the Tehuacan Valley develop advanced farming methods Agriculture spreads throughout Americas

Agriculture Creates a New Way of Life Farming Brings Great Change Agriculture increases food supply, and leads to population growth. Larger communities develop. There are specialized skills in the arts. Trade develops.