Couple Things To Know: The Americas were settled around 13,000 years ago Agriculture began around 4,000 years ago Powerful chiefdoms began around 3,500 years ago Agrarian Civilizations began around 2,000 years ago The Americas

Agrarian - characteristics of a farmers way of life, which is organized or designed to promote agricultural interests.

Comparing the American and other places around the world 4 Major Differences: 1.The Americas are settled later 2.The geographies are different 3.Agriculture appears later in the Americas 4.Agrarian Civilizations appear later

Range of Early humans 60,000 Ys ago Sea-going technologies 13,000 Ys ago Many new technologies required The 1st Difference: Later Settlement 40,000 Ys ago New hunting techniques; adaptations to cold

Early Migrations to the Americas People arrived in the Americas around 13,000 years ago, traveling either by sea, along the W. Coast, or inland between the great ice sheets

Bering Land Bridge How did Early people get to the Americas? They crossed the Bering Land Bridge Why it existed? During the Ice Age the level of the oceans dropped What body of water covers it now: Bering Strait Places it linked: Siberia (Asia) and Alaska

As more of the world’s water froze, the level of the oceans dropped. Areas that were once covered by shallow water became dry land. One of these areas stretched between Siberia and Alaska.

Migrations People Migrate Across the Earth Why did they move? –In search of food, hunted animals and gathered wild plants How did they move? –On foot or in small boats Where did they move? –To most regions of the world

American History Started Later The Americas were a new land –The first Americans had to learn new techniques –They had to become familiar with new animals and plants –American animals and plants had to adapt to the presence of humans

The 2nd Difference: The geographies are different N-S axis E-W axis

Traveling south through the Americas meant adapting to many different environments Migrating east through Europe and Asia was fairly easy –Climates and environments did not change too much –So it was easier to adapt Migrating south through the Americas was tougher –Climates and environments changed as you moved towards and away from the equator –Humans still migrated all the way in about 2,000 years (shows human ability to adapt to their environment) –But exchanging ideas was tougher

North America: Climates E-W Travel N-S Travel Traveling N-S you pass through many different climate zones Traveling E-W you encounter less climatic types

South America: Climates E-W Travel N-S Travel

The 3rd Difference: Agriculture appears later S.W. Asia Egypt W. Africa PakistanS.E. Asia S. China N. China Papua New Guinea Mississippi valley MesoamericaAndes Phase 1: 9,000-7,000 BCE Phase 2: 7,000-4,000 BCE Phase 3: after 4,000 BCE

The discovery of farming transformed life and they no longer had to wander to search for food. Agrarian Lifestyles

Irrigation was necessary to water crops by channeling water from rivers and streams. Native Americans were then able to produced surplus, or extra food that they traded with others

Major American Domesticates? How many could you have named? –Tomatoes –Potatoes –Chili –Beans –Squash –Quinoa –Alpaca/llamas –Guinea pigs Quinine comes from the bark of the Cinchona tree Alpaca Wild Cavy The Potato, a native of Peru Turkey, domesticated by the Aztecs

Domesticates - to adapt (an animal or plant) to life that gives advantages to humans. (They stick around, instead of run wild – people can grow hem year after year)

Why does agriculture appear later in the Americas? Possible answers: Species were different:- –Many American plants were harder to domesticate –Many potential animal domesticates were driven to extinction Humans arrived later:- –So they took longer to learn how to use American plants and animals –Problems of overpopulation emerged later

Maize was less able to be adapted for domestication than wheat Teosinte, the ancestor of maize, is small, weedy and not too nutritious, but it can survive in the wild Modern varieties of maize are larger and much more nutritious; but they took a long time to get that way

Extinct North American animals included possible domesticates Horses were in the Americas, but were hunted to extinction there. Many species of camelids evolved in the Americas, such as this guanaco. Some survived. Species of elephants, including mastodon and mammoth, were hunted to extinction.

4 th Difference: Agrarian Civilizations arrived later in the Americas = Zones of Agrarian Civilization

American ancient civilizations and civilizations around the world had a lot in common, even though there was no contact between them They were based on agriculture There was an elaborate specialization of labor, with farmers, artisans, traders and warriors. They built monumental architecture for the the gods There was warfare They had powerful and wealthy leaders They had large cities They had taxes and writing

Civilization is an advanced culture in which people have developed cities, science and industries. 1st Major Civilizations of the Americas