Culture Areas Geographic Area of “ethnic” groups with similar cultural traits.

Names… Indians Holdover from the search by explorers for a route to the “Indies”. Some Native Americans dislike this name. Amerind, Native American, or First Nation also used.

Names… Names of tribes are necessarily what they called themselves. At the time of contact, some explorers used names that other groups called a specific group. Thus, Navajo prefer Dine and Yuman prefer Quechan.

Geography and Culture

Environment Biome A larger biological community of interacting plants and animals, as exemplified by tundra or coniferous forest. Habitat An area of land with physical characteristics such as minerals, soils, rainfall, and temperature that affect which plants and animals live there. Ecotone A community of plants and animals found at the transition between biomes or other large biotic units; characterized by a mixture of species that may attract predators, including humans.

N. A. Biomes

Biomes Tundra Treeless biome Ground frozen year round, permafrost

Tundra Frozen tarn pond in alpine tundra near Dillon, Colorado Images (c) by James L. Reveal, Norton-Brown Herbarium, University of Maryland

Coniferous forest Evergreens-pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock Images (c) by James L. Reveal, Norton-Brown Herbarium, University of Maryland

Moist Temperate Forest Mostly coastal and in low mountains (less than 9,000 ft) Abundant precipitation, rain and snow; in ( cm). Cool temperatures, rarely below 5° F or above 100° F; moister and cooler in the north.

Temperate Deciduous Forest Beech - maple - yellow poplar, oak - hickory, mixed pine - hardwood. Cool /cold winters, warm summers. Moist winters, moist summers. m Photos Courtesy of Steve Nix, About Forestry

Chaparral Arid, very little rain in summer. Chaparral fire near Ensenada, Baja California Images (c) by James L. Reveal, Norton-Brown Herbarium, University of Maryland

Cold Desert/Hot Desert Biome Cold Desert-cold in winter, arid. Cold desert of the Great Basin near Lunar Crater, Nevada Images (c) by James L. Reveal, Norton-Brown Herbarium, University of Maryland

Temperate Grassland Plains, Prairies Mid-grass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas Images (c) by James L. Reveal, Norton-Brown Herbarium, University of Maryland

Water Resources Rivers, Lakes, Oceans, Sinkholes, Springs.

Native American Impact on the Environment Environment of the past dynamic. Interglacials Hypsithermal Prehistoric people did impact the environment. Clearing forests, diverting water.

Culture Histories Use of archaeological methods to construct cultural types based on culture area and artifacts. Temporal Types Artifacts with temporal signatures

Components Component An archaeological unit that includes a culturally homogeneous stratigraphic or spatial unit within a site and is thought to represent a single occupation of the site.

Phases Phase An archaeological unit consisting of several components at a number of sites defined by similar artifacts and other characteristics and found in a unique geographical area and time period; phases are thought to loosely represent cultures

Horizons Horizon an archaeological unit that links phases based on traits of material culture that appear to have spread widely during a relatively short period of time.

Tradition Temporal continuity in material culture the archaeological unit that links phases and sites based on general attributes of material culture that persist over a long period.

Culture History PaleoIndian (Pleistocene) Archaic (Beginning with Holocene, continuing through contact with some groups) Woodland (ca 3000) Mississippians, Iroquoians, Plains Village (ca 1000) Historic Period (after contact)

Culture Concepts Band Small, mobile groups Wild resources Little personal property

Culture Concepts Tribe Larger groups, sometimes villages Kinship groups-clans “Big men” in some groups (NW Coast)

Culture Concepts State Monarchy or democracy Social Classes/castes

Culture Concepts Egalitarian Status based on age, individual, gender Ranked Social position inherited, nearness to chief (or chiefs lineage)=higher status Stratified Sharp class distinctions

Themes in North American Research Settlement of America? Adaptation to Environment Food Production? Complex Cultural Systems? Ethnic Identities? European settlement