1. How does technology change the way people live?

2. Lesson 4.1 Notes The Early People of Texas:
1. First people to live in North America probably emigrated from Asia about 36,000 B.C.
2. Very cold temperatures froze large amounts of water, which dropped the sea levels. This created a land bridge that appeared between Alaska and Asia that herds of animals used to migrate across the ocean.
3. As groups of people searched for food, they crossed the land bridge that was formed during the Ice Age. This group was known as the Paleo Indians and they were nomadic hunters.
4. Many groups of people came to America at different times. The first people to arrive in what is Texas settled as a site know as Buttermilk Creek today (near Austin).
5. Some people continued to travel to other areas to the Northern parts of America, and parts of Central and South America.
6. Because they did not keep a written record, or history of their daily life, they are called prehistoric people.

3. Three Time Periods of Prehistoric Cultures:
Paleo-Indian Period:
In Texas area about 11,000 B.C.
Known as the Big Game Hunters
Lived in rock structures
Used flint-tipped spears and rocks to hunt
They hunted: Woolly mammoths, mastodons, sloths, giant buffalo & short nosed bears
But the big animals died off by 8000 B.C. Why did they die?
-Humans killed so many of them they became extinct
-The environment changed as ice age melted
-Some disease killed off the animals
We don’t know for sure but we suspect it was for one of the three reasons above.
Fortunately, the people didn’t die off
In 1953 around the Midland area, scientists found bones of Paleo-Indian woman…they named her Midland Minnie.

4. Archaic Period:
After giant animals died, Native Texas had to adapt to a new environment
New way of life developed around 6000 B.C.
These people were known as the Hunter-Gatherers
They hunted smaller animals (antelope, deer.
They began cooking their food for the first time using heated stones.
Developed better weapons…dart pointed sticks known as an atlatl
Men hunted and women gathered food from plants, berries, roots, etc.
They began to tame dogs and teach them to help
Scientists found bones of Archaic Period man near Abilene around 1829…named him Abilene Man.

5. Late Prehistoric Period:
This time began in Texas around A.D.
The people lived in villages, planted crops (corn, tomatoes, squash, beans, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and cocoa beans)
Became excellent farmers around 1200 A.D.
Used bow and arrow for the 1st time
With bow and arrow, they could hunt both large and small animals (buffalo, deer, rabbits)
Bow and Arrow: became most important weapon for Native Texans

6. Two Great Civilization Begin - Two groups of people built civilizations in Southern Mexico and Central America called Mesoamerica:
Maya
Social Structure had royal families
Had large trade centers
Had pyramids
Studied astronomy and developed calendars
Mayan calendar
Complex number system
 Society died out over 1000 years ago…no one knows why
Aztecs
AKA: the Mexica
Rose to power in Central America in 1200 A.D.
Built city in area that is now Mexico City
Had pyramids, temples, and created works of art
The influence from Mesoamerica (the Mayans and the Aztecs) spread to Texas through trade in the form of seeds for crops such as corn, beans, and squash may have come from these peoples.

7. First Agricultural Comes to Texas:
From 1200 A.D. until Europeans arrived in Texas in 1500’s A.D.
Farming was popular if climate was good
Farming produced more food than hunting and gathering
Learned to store extra food by using pottery.
When food supply was stable, people could stay in one place longer allowing civilizations to form.
Early Texans learned to adapt to their environment and established organized groups and cultures.
These cultures are what the Europeans found when they first came to America