Chapter 9-1 The Earliest Americans

North and South America form a single stretch of land that reaches from the freezing cold of the Arctic Circle in the north to the icy waters around Antarctica in the south.South

From around 1.6 million to about 10,000 years ago, the earth went through an Ice Age. During this time of severe cold, much water froze into huge sheets of ice called glaciers. One strip of this land, called Beringia, connected Asia and North America.Beringia

Wild animals crossed this rocky land bridge and entered North America for the first time. Some of the Asians who hunted these animals followed them. These were the first Americans. Some historians say the first “Americans” arrived around 40,000 B.C. Others say as late as 10,000 B.C.

A recent discovery in Chile (Monte Verde), suggests people were well settled in that part of the Americas by 10,500 B.C. Archaeologists discovered pieces of animal hide and a child’s single footprint.Verde Some experts say that people needed many thousands of years to travel that far so they think the first people arrived about 20,000 years ago.

Most experts believe the earliest Americans traveled by foot across the land bridge. Some scholars believe they may have paddled from Asia to the Pacific coast in small boats. The oldest skull found in the Americas was dated to about 11,000 B.C. in Mexico City. May be related to the Ainu people of Japan.Mexico Ainu

First Americans lived as hunters. Their favorite target for the hunt was the huge mammoth. mammoth

One animal alone gave enough meat, hide and bones to feed, clothe and house many people. Over time, the mammoths died and people began to hunt smaller animals such as rabbits, deer and to fish. They also began to gather plants and fruits to eat.

Between 12,000 and 10,000 B.C. the climate changed. The Ice Age ended and the world warmed up again.Ice The huge sheets of ice melted, and the oceans rose again to cover the land bridge that connected Asia to the Americas.

About 7,000 B.C. the people living in central Mexico starting farming. By 3,400 B.C. they were growing squashes, beans, chilies and the most important crop— corn. In four months a family of three could grow enough corn to feed it for two years. Growing food gave people a more reliable food supply—more people could be fed, they were healthier and lived longer—the population grew.

The Olmec Civilization Begin in an area called MesoAmerica: South central Mexico to northern Honduras. Sometimes called MesoAmerica’s “mother culture” 1200 B.C.—the Olmecs developed the first complex societies in the Americas. The Olmec thrived between B.C. and lived off the Gulf coast of Mexico.

The region they lived in had advantages: Abundant deposits of salt, tar, clay, rubber, hard stone and fresh water from rivers 1860—worker discovered a sculpture— five feet tall—8 tons—an enormous head wearing a headpiece. –Giant monuments built over 44 tons –The Olmecs worshipped the jaguar spirit

Archaeologists had never seen anything like it in the Americas They played one of the first “ball games” in the Americas game.htmlhttp:// game.html

New World v. Old World foods New World Foods Avocado, Southern Mexico Beans, Central America Cacao (chocolate), Southern Mexico Corn, Central America Peanuts, South America (Bolivia) Peppers, Central America (Peru) Potatoes, South America (Bolivia) Tomatoes, Southern Mexico Old World Foods Cattle, Turkey Coffee, Ethiopia Pigs, South West Asia Rice, India Sheep & Goats, Middle East (Iraq, Iran) Soybean, Northeastern China Sugar Beets, Europe (Austria) Wheat, Turkey Yams, Africa