The First North Americans Arrival Theories

Focus Questions Who were the first settlers? Where did they originate? When did they arrive in North America? Where did they settle?

Arrival Theories Bering Land Bridge/Clovis Theory Pacific Coastal Route Theory Pacific Crossing Theory Atlantic Crossing Theory

Bering Land Bridge / Clovis Theory Migrants from NE Asia arrived in NA during the last Ice Age via the Bering Land Bridge Discovered a passage in the glaciers & eventually moved south from Alaska to inhabit the Americas Big Game hunters Clovis, New Mexico 13,500 yrs ago-spear points

Pacific Coastal Route Theory Explorers from SE Asia may have travelled the Pacific coast in small boats Coast was more exposed due to glaciation Eventually populated both North & South America Monte Verde, Chile remains of a 14,500 year old campsite have been discovered

Pacific Crossing Theory Proponents claim that peoples of the SW Pacific may have travelled east eventually reaching South America 13,500 year old skull in Brazil bears similarities to early Australian aborigines No solid evidence; highly unlikely

Atlantic Crossing Theory Proponents suggest that people from the Iberian Peninsula traveled across the Atlantic in boats following the edge of receding glaciers Solutrean Technology from Spain and France 16,000 - 24, 000 yrs ago Cactus Hill, Va & Topper, S.C