GA’s Prehistory

Why study history? History is the record of our collective past. We need to be aware of history because we cannot experience everything firsthand. History helps us better understand today by showing how we got here.

Two types of sources Primary sources Firsthand or original accounts Letters, diaries, newspapers, autobiographies, gov. documents, etc. Secondary sources Accounts written by people who weren’t actually there Textbooks, maps, reference books, etc.

Periods of time Decade- 10 years Century- 100 years Centennial- Celebration of 100 years passing Bicentennial- Celebration of 200 years passing Millinieum- 1,000 years

What do we mean when we say “prehistoric”? Means “before history” Refers to thee period of the past before written records were kept.

When and how did GA’s prehistory end? In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his 600 men became the first Europeans to write eyewitness accounts of the “Indians” they saw in what would become Georgia.

Archeologist Scientists that learn about previous societies by looking for clues in the physical evidence they left behind.

Three types of evidence Artifacts -Objects made or shaped by humans - Ex. Arrowheads, tools, pottery, and jewelry

Three types of evidence Ecofacts -Natural objects -Ex. Pollens, seeds, teeth, bones, skulls, and shells

Three types of evidence Features -a specific area of human activity visible in the ground -Ex. Stain in the soil, or manmade arrangements of rocks or burial mounds

culture A society's way of life (including how that society meets its basic needs)

What was the Ice Age? A period of time in which cold temperatures caused a great deal of the earth’s water to freeze into glaciers and polar ice. As a result, ocean levels were as much as 300 ft below current levels.

What was Beringia? A land mass exposed during the last Ice Age. Between present-day Alaska and Siberia, Russia. Today Beringia is covered by ocean and is called the Bering Strait.

Why did people come across Beringia from Asia? The first migrants were nomads in search of food. They may have followed migrating herds of animals. Slowly they made their way father south where the climate was warmer and food was more abundant.

Some of the game they found were: