Georgia’s Prehistoric Past

1. Georgia’s Prehistoric Past Who Were The First Georgians And Where Did They Come From?

2. What Is History? • History relates to events that have occurred in the past and are important. • In order to study history, you need to use Primary Sources – firsthand accounts of a historical event, which are in writing.

3. Examples of a Primary Source • Some examples of a primary source are newspapers, diaries/journals, autobiographies, and government reports.

4. What is Prehistory • Prehistory refers to the period of time before written records were kept. • Means before history began • No written records were kept during prehistoric times.

5. How can we study prehistory? • We study prehistory with the use of artifacts and ecofacts. • Artifacts are objects made by humans (arrowheads, tools, pottery). • Ecofacts are natural objects relating to living matter (bones, teeth, skulls, shells).

6. Who Studies Prehistory? • Archeologists study prehistory. • An archeologist learns about previous societies by studying the artifacts and ecofacts left behind by that society.

7. The First Americans • Human beings originated on the Continent of Africa around five million years ago. • In order to survive, they had to hunt and gather all of their food.

8. The First Americans Cont. • 12,000 years ago the first humans reached North America. • A band of humans crossed an ice bridge called Beringia. • The bridge connected Siberia and Alaska. • 1,300 miles wide and four times the length of Georgia

9. Picture of Early Humans Crossing Beringia • Was this trip planned, and do you think that they had directions to N. America?

10. Paleo-Indian When did they exist? • Existed 10,000-8,000 B.C. • First 2,000 years of Indian life in Southeast.

11. Paleo-Indian What did they eat? • Their diet consisted of meat from bison, mastadons, and sloths. • They also ate small game, berries,wild fruit,and vegetables. • Often chased them over cliffs to kill them.

12. Paleo-Indian Did they have weapons? • They had several types of weapons. They used knives, spears, and axes. • They would sharpen the spearheads and ax heads using rocks. • Bow and arrow was not yet invented so they had to use spears and stab animals. • The atlatl, a spear throwing device was used for accuracy and to throw further.

13. Paleo-Indian How did they live? • They were nomadic, traveling from place to place, following herds of animals. • They usually camped out in the open but when it was cold they would dig pits or build shelters covered with bark, brush, or animal hides.

14. Paleo-Indian OTHER FACTS • Lived off the land and relied on nature for food, clothes, blankets, tools, shelter, etc. • Lived in small bands of 20 or so adults and children. • Few lived to be older than 30 or 40. • Many children died before their first birthday.

15. Archaic When did they exist? • Existed 8,000-1,000 B.C.

16. Archaic What did they eat? • The Archaic Indians became dependent on a combination of hunting, fishing, and gathering. • Their diet consisted of deer, bear, rabbit, squirrels, fish, berries, nuts, wild fruit, and veggies. • They also ate shellfish and oysters.

17. Archaic Did they have weapons? • They had a variety of weapons. • They used an atlatl which was a spear throwing device so that they could throw them further and more accurately.

18. Archaic How did they live? • Archaic Indians were usually on the move. • They traveled based on the seasons. • Later on they adjusted and learned to use the resources around them.

19. Archaic OTHER FACTS • They also hunted bear, fox, raccoon, opossum,squirrel, and turkey. • Learned to burn small areas of forest to improve hunting. The plants that grew back attracted deer. • Made clay pottery and decorative items out of stone and bone.

20. Woodland When did they exist? • Existed 1,000 A.D. -1,000 B.C.

21. Woodland What did they eat? • The Woodland Indians were both hunters and gatherers. • Their diet consisted of deer, small game, nuts and seeds, squash, and gourds.

22. Woodland Did they have weapons? • They had bows and arrows.

23. Woodland How did they live? • Woodland Indians lived in sturdy houses in villages. • They stayed in one place for long periods of time.

24. Woodland OTHER FACTS • Like their Archaic ancestors, Woodland Indians were at home in the forest. • The use of pottery became widespread throughout the Southeast during this period.

25. Mississippian When did they exist? • Existed 1,000 A.D. -1,600 A.D.

26. Mississippian What did they eat? • The Mississippian Indians were hunters and they also grew their own vegetables. • Their diet consisted of deer, turkey and other small game, corn, beans, and other vegetables.

27. Mississippian Did they have weapons? • They used bows and arrows for hunting and for defense.

28. Mississippian How did they live? • Mississippian Indians had permanent settlements with wattle and daub houses. • They had elaborate burial mounds with food and ceremonial objects buried inside.

29. Mississippian OTHER FACTS • The Mississippian Indians preferred living in places that offered rich bottomlands by rivers, long moist growing seasons, and good deer and turkey hunting. • Wild foods remained important, but they also came to rely more on agriculture. • The Etowah Indian mounds in Cartersville were built by the Mississippians.