Native America

Native America:

Native America America Before Contact

A Migration from Asia:

A Migration from Asia Introduction: Who are the Indian people? Most popular theory of migration: Beringia. Land bridge between northern Asia and modern day Alaska.

A Migration from Asia:

A Migration from Asia Migration possible because of the last ice age. 70,000 – 100,000 years ago. Huge glaciers locked up large amounts of ocean water. Seas dropped as much as 300 feet. Beringia emerged: Ice free, treeless, grass land.

A Migration from asia:

A Migration from asia Warming climate ended ice age. Glacial melting created an ice-free corridor. Allowed people to travel through western Canada. The Pan-American Highway. Other theories: Pacific Coast Highway. Atlantic Coast Highway.

The Clovis culture:

The Clovis culture Early tools: Stone and bone choppers, scrapers, and spears. Developed more sophisticated tools over time. Fluted blades. Lance points. Tools from this period called, “Clovis Points”. Discovered in 1926 (Clovis, NM). Found throughout North America. Spread quickly.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Global warming brought an end to the last ice age. Drastically changed the North American climate. New patterns of: Wind. Rainfall. Temperature. Gradually produced distinct North American regions. People had to find new ways to find food. Their environment determined how they found food.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Environmental impact on food finding: Arctic – hunted game. Desert – foraged for food. Coasts/waterways – fished. Forests – hunted – gathered. These changes occurred between 10,000 to 2,500 years ago. Known as the “ Archaic Period ”.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Archaic Period: The period when people began to shift away from hunting big game and turned to agriculture and other food sources in their local environments. Ex: See previous slide.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Hunting Tradition. Greatest impact on large game animals. Lowered reproduction and survival rates. Hunters had to work harder. Great Plains hunters concentrated on American bison. Folsom point: Refinement of Clovis point. Featured deadlier spear points. New hunting techniques. Stampedes, etc.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Desert Culture. Great Basin region. Deserts. Hunted small game. Foraged for plants. Migrated seasonally within small range. Lived in caves and rock shelters. Culture spread into the Plains and Southwest. Moved into California (6,000 yrs ago). Natural conditions supported first permanently settled village in North America.

New ways of living on the land:

New ways of living on the land Forest Living: Lived comfortable and secure. Developed knowledge of resources. Forest Efficiency. During the Archaic period: Communities grew. Settlements became increasingly permanent. Show the practicality of forest efficiency.

The Development of farming:

The Development of farming Central Mexico. Cultivation of plants began in the highlands about 5,000 yrs ago. Developed crops that responded well to human care and produced larger quantities of food. Maize (corn) prove particularly productive. Beans, squash, and chilies. Basis for agricultural revolution. Agriculture slowed hunting in central Mexico. Farming had a major impact on social life.

The Development of farming:

The Development of farming Farming societies required less land. Farming provided the incentive for larger families. Field hands. Food. People became less mobile and built more substantial housing near crops. Developed better means of food storage. Villages became towns and towns became “cities”. Cahokia ( video clip) .

The Development of farming:

The Development of farming Cahokia: Center for trading. Distinctive forms of pottery, tools, and religious and artistic objects. Did not have a large permanent population. People went to Cahokia to participate in ceremonial activities and trade then returned home. Declined around 800 years ago.

Cahokia: Then and now…:

Cahokia: Then and now…

Cahokia: Then and now…:

Cahokia: Then and now…

The Development of farming:

The Development of farming Mesoamerica: Highly productive farming supported by urban civilizations. Characterized by the concentration of wealth and power in the hand of elite rulers and priests. Built impressive temples (etc).

The Development of farming:

The Development of farming Mesoamerica (cont…) Developed systems of: Mathematics. Astronomy. Several forms of hieroglyphic writing. Engaged in warfare. Sometimes practiced human sacrifice.

Increasing social complexity:

Increasing social complexity Greater population density prompted families to group themselves into clans. Clans: Separate clans became responsible for different social, political, or ritual functions. Headed by leaders known as chiefs – advised by a council of elders. Supervision of the economy. Collection and storage of harvest. Distribution of food to the various clans.

Increasing social complexity:

Increasing social complexity Developed strict divisions of labor. Women: Household duties. Cared for the children. Did agricultural work. Men: Hunted. Fought. Government (sometimes tribes were headed by women).

Farming in early north america:

Farming in early north america The Southwest: First millennium BCE: Farming communities began to spread into the dry American southwest. Mogollon: First to develop a settled, farming lifestyle. Farmed corn, beans, and squash. Built food storage pits. Lived in permanent village sites. Hohokam : Lived in farming villages. Built and maintained first irrigation system in North America. Grew corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and cotton.

Farming in early north america:

Farming in early north america The Eastern Woodlands: Farming or Woodland culture: 3,000 yrs ago. Combined hunting and gathering with farming (corn, etc). Adopted increasingly settled lifestyle. Developed more complex social organizations. Mound builders. Those living in the Ohio Valley. Adena . Permanent villages and built large burial grounds. Hopewell. Built larger mounds.

Farming in early north america:

Farming in early north america Mississippian Society: Hopewell collapsed around 400 AD (CE). People adopted the bow & arrow. Farmed corn (spread east quickly). New type of corn developed for shorter growing season. Lived in permanent communities.

Politics and warfare:

Politics and warfare Native Americans engaged in travel, trade, politics, and war. Population centers: Linked together by the vast transportation system of the Mississippi River (etc). Became city-states in North America. Hierarchical chiefdoms extended political control over the farmers living and working in the countryside surrounding the centers. Continued growth created violent competition for limited land along the rivers and streams.

Slide 27:

Read Chapter 2.