Prehistoric Cultures of N America

Paleo Indian ancient peoples of the Americas who were present at the end of the last Ice Age Village Names of Paleo Indians –C–Clovis used pointed projectiles to hunt –F–Folsom used spears –P–Plano drove animals off cliffs Came from Asia??? these people were nomadic hunter- gatherers – followed animal migration

Moundbuilders type of N American natives who constructed various styles of earthen mounds for burial residential and ceremonial purposes lived during the first thousand years AD farming and irrigation Village Names of Moundbuilders –Adena –Hopewell –Mississippian lived in the Mississippi area

Southwestern Ancient pueblo people lived in the S Western portion of the U.S. Village names of southwestern pre- historic Natives: –Mogollon stone workers –Hohokam = canal builders –Anasazi basket makers

Dating Methods how do historians know how old things and people are calendar ages –e–ex dendrochronology – tree ring dating numerical ages –e–ex radiocarbon – looks at the amount of carbon correlated ages –e–ex volcanic ash relative ages –g–geologic time – “Middle Ages” “Ice Age”

Ice Age a period of long term reduction in the temperature of Earth’s climate results in an expansion of ice sheets …glaciers Bering strait – tip between Russia and Alaska –a–a natural land bridge spanned this distance between the two continents –n–not there anymore… it melted

SUMMARY QUIZ TIME

T/F The Paleo Indians possibly followed mammoths across the Bering Strait to America.

2. T/F The Anasazi people of the Southwest were canal builders.

3. T/F You could still cross the Bering Strait today by foot.