Prehistoric Native American Cultures

Terms to know Prehistory Kinship Extended Family Nomads Technology Projectile Points Culture Agriculture Ceramics Aesthetic Egalitarian Chiefdoms State

What is PREHISTORY? History before there was written language There was history before it was written down, but some societies just didn’t write Native American societies were oral and have always been aware of their history, even without writing it down.

Three Phases of Prehistory in North Carolina Paleo-Indian Period Archaic Period Woodland Times (includes the Mississippian Culture)

Bering Strait Theory During the last Ice Age (25, ,000 years ago) people began populating North America, coming across the Bering Strait from Asia Around 14,000 years ago, North American was fully populated by people

How do we know about the people that lived before history was recorded?

Various levels of social organization among prehistoric Native Americans

Paleo-Indian Period (14,000-12,000 Years Ago) Family People lived in bands (20-35 people), with 2 or 3 extended families Natural leadership developed The social structure was based on kinship and skills

Paleo-Indian Period Way of Life Nomads who moved with the hunt (mostly ate meat and hunted big game) The archeological sites left by these people are few with few deposits, probably because they were nomads In North Carolina, at least one Paleo-Indian site has been found in every county

Paleo-Indian Period Technology Only stone material is found from this period They had some of the finest tools in prehistory Projectile points are most of what is found (tips of spears, darts, lances, etc.)

Projectile Points & Arrow Heads What are the differences? Projectile points were created before arrow heads. Arrow heads were not invented until around 4000 years ago

Projectile Points and Arrowheads of North Carolina

The end of the Ice Age causes changes Global warming occurs between 12,000 & 10,000 years ago (it took about 2000 years) It causes forests to change, thus food sources change Something else key happens…. Culture evolves

Archaic Period (10,000-4,000 years ago) Family Bands got larger, containing people Tribes began to evolve consisting of closely related bands of people tied together by kinship

Archaic Period (10,000-4,000 years ago) Way of Life The archeological sites found from this period are larger The people are semi-sedentary, not moving as much (they move with the seasons rather than the hunt) They are still hunter-gatherers (nuts, berries, plant material)

Archaic Period Technology People begin making tools, to make other tools. They create more diverse and advanced tools such as: Grinding stones Dishes Stone net sinkers Fish hooks Awls (engraving tool) Drills Scrapers Atlatl (Spear thrower)

Describe the cultures of the people of the early prehistoric America, Paleo-Indian Period Archaic Period Family Ways of Life Technology

North Carolina Archeological Sites

After the Paleo-Indian and Archaic Periods, culture begins to evolve on its own, and is not influenced by climactic changes, as before during times of global warming. Three inventions drastically change life for Native Americans.

Woodland Times ( years ago) Marked by three inventions: Agriculture Ceramics Bow & Arrow

Agriculture No more hunting and gathering People begin to live in one place and stop moving Cultures become more complex when people aren’t moving as much (music, art, religion, government, social structure) Involves knowledge of your environment Mostly women were the farmers

Ceramics The development of ceramics allowed people to become sedentary Ceramics were used as storage Ceramics were used to transport goods They were crafted mostly by women They eventually become aesthetic (appreciated for its beauty)

Bows & Arrows Bows and arrows were created around 4000 years ago They were used to hunt small game They were also used in fighting

Woodland Times ( years ago) Villages People lived in permanent villages of about people They were farmers They lived in egalitarian organizations

Woodland Times The Chiefdom Organized into tribes and chiefdoms Within tribes, there were clans which were ranked to create a social order

Woodland Times Ways of Life Some Woodland people buried their dead in burial mounds They began to decorate more- polished and stamped pottery, polished stone tools, and used bones, copper, and shells and ornaments

Mississippian Culture ( years ago) During the Woodland Times, a unique culture arises, known as the Mississippian Culture.

Mississippian Culture Towns Large populated towns with ceremonial centers Surrounding the ceremonial centers were villages

Mississippian Culture The State The society of Mississippian cultures was very structured, in order to build the mounds and ceremonial centers People had to carry basketload of dirt to create the mounds These societies were states (nations)

Mississippian Culture Truncated Mounds The ceremonial centers were truncated mounds (mounds with the tops cut off) The purpose of the mound was to provide a place for ceremonial activities Occasionally people were buried there Click here to take a virtual field trip of Town Creek Indian Mound in Mt. Gilead, NC.