Welcome to a trip to the past featuring the first Alabamian’s ! The Prehistoric Indians

The purpose of this trip is to explore: How the first Alabamians arrived Why they came How we found out the information How they lived and their different cultures

Before we begin lets learn a little more about what history is. What Is History? History relates to events that have occurred in the past and are important. In order to study history, you need to use Primary Sources – firsthand accounts of a historical event, which are in writing.

Can you think of any more examples of Primary Sources? Examples of a Primary Source News Papers Government Documents Diaries and Journals Autobiographies

Then what is Prehistory? Prehistory refers to the period of time before written records were kept. Means before history began No written records were kept during prehistoric times.

We learn about prehistoric times through the work of archeologists. Have you ever found an Indian arrowhead? Did you ever wonder how old it is or who had made it? Archaeologists and anthropologists are people who spend their entire lives trying to answer such questions.

Let’s take a Closer look at these scientist. Click on the archaeologist to find out what he does. To explore more about archaeology and anthropology go here: http://www.digonsite.com/index.html

How do they study prehistory? They study prehistory with the use of artifacts and ecofacts. Artifacts are objects made by humans (arrowheads, tools, pottery). Ecofacts are natural objects relating to living matter (bones, teeth, skulls, shells).

So what did archaeologist and anthropologist discover about the first Alabamians and where they came from?

They think the first people of North America walked here about 20,000 years ago. The earth was coming to the end of the Ice Age. During that time, the ocean’s water level was low because much of the earth’s water was frozen into huge ice masses called glaciers.

These glaciers sucked water from the oceans and caused the oceans to become more shallow exposing more land. The exposed land was known as the land bridge called Beringia, it connected Asia to Alaska . Glaciers Glaciers

Click on the arrow to explore the ice age. Glaciers Slowly prehistoric hunters from Asia walked across the land bridge following herds of animals. They did not arrive all at once. They settled all over North America over a number of years. Then Slowly the glaciers melted, the water started rising, and the land bridge disappeared. Glaciers Click on the arrow to explore the ice age.

Paleo Archaic Woodland Mississippian Prehistoric Indians are grouped by cultures instead of by tribal names. Archaeologists have given names to these cultures: Click here to take Introduction Quiz! Paleo Archaic Woodland Mississippian Click on the button to learn more about each prehistoric culture ,

I hope you enjoyed the trip to prehistoric times I hope you enjoyed the trip to prehistoric times. If you would like to explore Alabama’s prehistoric cultures further, click on the archaeologist and he will take you to Alabama’s official archaeology site.

Paleo-Indian Time Span 10,000 BC-8,000 B.C. First 2,000 years of Indian life in Southeast.

Paleo-Indian They were nomadic, traveling from place to place, following herds of animals. They lived in groups of 25 -50 people. Few lived to be older than 30 or 40. Many children died before their first birthday.

Paleo-Indian Diet Their diet mostly consisted of meat from large game such as: mammoths, bison, mastodons, and sloths. They also ate small game, berries, wild fruit,and vegetables.

Paleo-Indian Dwellings/Homes They did not build homes to last very long. They dug pit or shelters covered with bark and animal hides,

Paleo-Indian Tools and Weapons They had several types of weapons. They used knives, spears with long points, and axes. They would sharpen the spearheads and ax heads using rocks. Their tools were made from bone, Flintstones, tusks and plants.

Paleo-Indian OTHER FACTS Peleo Indians hunted large animals that are extint, or no longer exist. Mammoths looked like elephants but were larger and had long hair: Paleo hunters stabbed the giant animals with spears. They ate the meat of the mammoths and wore their skins. Back to cultures

Archaic Time Span Existed 8,000-1,000 B.C.

Archaic They began to make cooking pots out of stone and clay. They cooked plants they had gathered in pots they have made. They moved less often than Paleo people.

Archaic Diet The Archaic Indians became dependent on a combination of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Their diet consisted of deer, bear, rabbit, squirrels, fish, berries, nuts, wild fruit, and veggies. They also ate shellfish and oysters.

Archaic Tools and Weapons They began to make pottery for cooking. They made axes for cutting trees so that trees which produced berries and nuts could grow better They made a spear thrower called an atlatl. It was a stick about two feet long, with a handle on one end and a hook on the other. It gave more force and accuracy to the spear being used.

Archaic-Indian Dwellings/Homes Because Archaic peoples traveled throughout the year in search of food, their homes had to be easy to build and easy to take down. So their houses were simple structures consisting of a framework of branches covered with animal hides, reeds, or brush. Fire hearths and storage pits are sometimes found both inside and outside the houses. Some made use of caves, Archaic people lived at Russell Cave . It is one of Alabama’s most important archaeological sites. Click on the cave to go there.

Archaic OTHER FACTS They had tame dogs to help in hunting. We know this because Archaic tools and spear points were found with their skeletons. They learned to burn small areas of forest to improve hunting. The plants that grew back attracted deer. They sometimes buried their dead in mounds made from mussel shells. It is thought that they believed in some type of after life because tools, weapons , or dishes are often found with their skeletons. Back to cultures

Woodland Time Span Existed 1,000 A.D. -1,000 B.C.

Woodland They were the first Natives to practice agriculture, the raising of plants or animals for food. They settled along rivers where the soil was rich. The use of pottery became widespread throughout the southeast during this period. They lived in small villages and did not move very often.

Woodland Dwellings / Homes They built houses made of wood frames with mud walls and bark roofs that could not be moved easily. They usually lived in small villages with several houses.

Woodland Diet The Woodland Indians were both hunters and gatherers. Their diet consisted of deer, small game, nuts and seeds, squash, and gourds.

Woodland Tools and weapons They had a variety of weapons and invented new ones like the bow and arrow to hunt turkey. They made clay pots with shapes and designs for storing their food and drink.

Woodland OTHER FACTS They believed that everything in nature had a spirit. The sun, the moon, the rivers, and the wind all had feelings like human beings. They had temples built on the tops of earthen mounds that they had made. Back to cultures

Mississippian The Mound Builders Time Span Existed 1,000 A.D. -1,600 A.D. The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States.

Mississippian Diet The Mississippian Indians were hunters and they also grew their own vegetables. Their diet consisted of deer, turkey and other small game, corn, beans, and other vegetables.

Mississippian Trade Mississippian economy was based on a exchange network that connected hundreds of communities. Everyone was involved in food production and their were no full time traders or artisans. Every family, every household was involved in agricultural production and food gathering.

Mississippian Agriculture The women did all of the Agriculture work. Men did all the hunting, gathering, and fishing tasks. Corn was the primary crop of the Mississippian community. However, corn was not the only crop cultivated in their community they grew other crops such as: squash, sunflowers, may grass, and beans.

Mississippian Artifacts Artifacts and tools were made from flint, clay, and stone

Flint Mace Found in the Spiro Mounds Used For Ceremonial Purposes It is common to find Mississippian artifacts that are made of flint Very abundant Easy to chip away to shape out tools and weapons yet still durable Flint tools were very useful to the farmers Flint Spade http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/ Flint Mace Found in the Spiro Mounds Used For Ceremonial Purposes http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/

Flint Points Used For Arrows

Clay It is suggested that pottery was made by the women of the Mississippian tribe Many Mississippian pottery designs are of effigy forms There are several pottery in forms of jars and bottles as well

Hard Stone Some tools and weapons were made out of hard stone Hard Stone Celts Some tools and weapons were made out of hard stone Hard stone tools were used for building Hard stone tools were very effective in cutting and shaping wood that would be used to build structures in the village Celts are ungrooved axe heads Used for cutting down trees Smaller Celts used for war clubs Many shapes and sizes

How Mounds Were Built The Mississippians were mound builders The workers would carry baskets of dirt to build the dirt mounds Layers are added to the mounds after years and years of ceremonial use

How Mounds Were Used The use of some mounds is still a mystery Some buried their dead in the mounds Some built temples on their mounds

Mississippian Chiefdoms A chiefdom is a kin-based society in which people are ranked according to family they belong to. The ruler typically comes from a high-status family and have privileges beyond those of ordinary people. The mounds and descriptions by explores signify that the Mississippian Indians may have live in chiefdoms. The mounds could of a been a place for a chief’s house, because when it is placed on the mound it is separated from an ordinary house, and it signifies that someone of importance lived in that location or nearby it.

Mississippian Dwellings/Homes The Mississippian’s had Chiefdoms: Which is are more complicated villages were protected by moats, palisades and guard towers. Structures were built out of wood.

Chunkey Game Description of the Game: A discodial (stone artifact used to play chunkey) is thrown by a player onto its edge A player would throw the discodial so it can roll on its side Then before the discodial stops rolling the players would throw their spears to see who can get their spear closest to the discodial The sport played by the Mississipians is known as Chunkey Discodials were passed down across generations to be used in these sporting events These discodials were made of hard stone usually and were very durable

Mississippian Click on the mound to explore the Moundville, a Mississippian site in Alabama Back to cultures

Introduction Quiz This relates to events that have occurred in the past and are important. ________ Artifacts (b) history (c) prehistory (d) ecofacts Newspapers, government documents , autobiography, and Diaries are examples of these._________ (a) Artifacts (b) journals (c) primary sources ( d) ecofacts 3. This refers to the period of time before written records were kept. _________ History (b) Prehistory (c) timelines (d) journals 4.____Scientists who study the items left behind by ancient peoples to determine how they lived. (a) archaeologist (b) anthropologist 5. ____Scientist who study how groups of people live. (a) archaeologist (b) anthropologist 6. _____ are objects made by humans (arrowheads, tools, pottery). (a) ecofacts (b) artifacts 7.______are natural objects relating to living matter (bones, teeth, skulls, shells). (a) ecofacts (b) artifacts 8._____ During prehistoric times, the ocean’s water level was low because much of the earth’s water was frozen into huge ice masses called._______ (a) ice bridges (b) glaciers (9-10) Use complete sentences to explain how the first Alabamians arrived here._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Archaeologist-Scientists who study the items left behind by ancient peoples to determine how they lived. Anthropologist- Scientist who study how groups of people live.