1. Native Americans before Columbus 15,000-1492
“Native Americans around a Fire” by Theodore de Bry 1590

2. Origins
Native Americans crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia over hundreds of years
Why? Natives were hunter/gatherers, and followed herds of Mastodons, Elk, and even Caribou.

3. Settlement
Native Americans followed herds and the coastlines, eventually settling at MONTE VERDE, in South America, the oldest human settlement in the New World (C.A. 12,000 B.C.)

4. Societies
Over time, Native Americans developed different societies, based on geography and food economy.
Most developed were found in Central and South America.

5. Early Society Examples
Olmecs (1,500 B.C.-) controlled trade networks in Southern Mexico, cities at San Lorenzo and La Venta
Zapotecs (1,300 B.C.-750 A.D.) First Native People to develop writing and a calendar. Capitol is at Monte Alban

6. South Platform, Building "M", The Danzantes, Building IV,
North Platform,
Ball Court,
Building II,
The Palace
Building "J“
Tomb 107
Tomb 104,
Stela,
Sunken Patio
Building 1
The VG Complex
Jewelled Building,
, Diagram of Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico.

7. (above)Map of Olmec heartland (south of the GOM)
(right) two giant basalt stone heads, showing a former king or warrior of San Lorenzo.
(bottom) excavation of Olmec head at San Lorenzo, 1942.

8. Native Americans in North America
NC and US native americans developed over time through four steps.
Paleo-Indians: (old-indians)
15,000-8,000 BC
were nomadic, hunter gatherers only, limited tools and technology.
(left) an Atl-atl or spear thrower used to hunt large animals like Mammoth.
(right) Clovis Point evidence of human hunting at Clovis NM, around 12,000 bc

9. Native Americans in North America
Archaic- (forest indians)
8,000-1,000 BC
end of the ice age and death of the large animals meant change in hunting tech and styles.
Spread all across Eastern NC, gathering nuts, berries, shell fish, acorns, and small game.
To the left are examples of new spear points developed during this time, most famous is the Hardaway point, found in Stanly county. These are designed for small game.

10. Native Americans in North America
Woodland-(settlement indians)
1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D
These NA lived in small seasonal villages, produced pottery and had small gardens.
By hunting white tailed deer, rabbit, and other small game developed the new tech bow and arrow.
Above right: woodland era pot (ad 300) found in Haywood county.
Left: Arrowheads found near the town of Badin, Stanly county

11. Native Americans in North America
Mississippian period: (Village farmers) AD
Heavily influenced by meso-american agriculture based on corn, squash, and beans. (called the three sisters by the Cherokee)
Agro creates population boom, which leads to walled towns, and mud pyramids

12. Two examples of MP towns
Town creek Indian mound: Montgomery county.
Classic example of MP town in NC, a political center where disputes were resolved between tribes.
Cahokia: largest MP city in North America, located near St. Louis Missouri.
larger than London, England in (had 20,000 people living there.
Relied on large trade networks and resource production, named after a tribe that lived there in the 1600’s

13.
Below left artist’s rendition of Cahokia circa 1250 ad.
Below right, town creek Indian mound, around 1100 ad.

14. NC Tribes Tribe name Details Region description Resource Cherokee
S.Appalachian mountain range.
Arrived 8000 BC
Woodland lifestyle w/ MT style religion
“DUYUKTFE” or balance and harmony, philosophy of equality.
Family lines traced by mother
“Keepers of the Sacred Fire”
Mountains of NC
100 mts over 5,000ft
Mt Mitchell 6,684 ft highest mt west of the Mississippi
Thin rocky soil, hard to raise enough food for large groups
Often relied on Cash crops for trade.
Chiefly pottery, stone for arrowheads and tobacco.

15. NC Tribes Tribe name Details Region Description Resources Tuscarora
Known as weavers of the hemp cloth
Politically aligned with the Iroquois league and the northern tribes
Property rights and family tree traced along the mother’s line or the Clan Mother
Mighty Warriors
Coastal Plain: Best Farmland in the state, large region between the Piedmont and Tidewater
Made up of sandy Hills, and Pine Forests.
Agricultural products, Maize, Squash, Beans
NC Tribes

18. Bibliography http://ncpedia.org/history/early/native-settlement

19. Additional Websites Cherokee language clip
Cahokia timeline