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Early Inhabitants of North America. Paleo Archaic Woodland Mississippian Historic. Native Americans or 1 st Immigrants?. One of the first questions that scientists try to decide is where did the 1 st people come from that lived in “America” come from and why were they moving?
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Early Inhabitants of North America Paleo Archaic Woodland Mississippian Historic
Native Americans or 1st Immigrants? • One of the first questions that scientists try to decide is where did the 1st people come from that lived in “America” come from and why were they moving? • Were they always here? • Did they come from Asia? • Did they come from South America? • Did they sail over the Pacific? • DNA testing, the study of skeletal remains , and a comparison of languages also lend support of special affinities between Native Americans and the peoples of Siberia.
PALEO: ICE AGE (Hollywood style) The Ice Age locked up more of the world’s water in polar icecaps that allowed a land crossing over the Bering Sea from Asia to North America. Also, similar archaeological sites on in such faraway places on North American continent such as present-day California and Florida.
Animals of the Paleo Tradition Prehistoric Camel Mastodon
Animals of the Paleo Tradition Saber-Tooth Tiger Giant Sloth
Animals of the Paleo Tradition Fossilized Skull of Saber-Tooth Tiger Saber-Tooth Tiger Attacks Giant Sloth
PALEO (10,000-8,000 B.C.)“Very Old” • The “Band”: Because the survival of the group depended on a successful hunt, the number of people in the band was usually 20-30 people. • Men: The men would hunt together with large spears called “Clovis Points” and stabbed the large animal until it died. They would run up and try to stab the animal in its soft underbelly or joints. Once the animal died, the group would move near the “kill site”. Young boys would hunt when he was a teen. • Women: The women would quickly pack up the camp site and move to the “kill site”. The women and girls would help prepare the slain animal for all of its different uses. • FYI: The average age span of Paleo: 40-45 years.
PALEO (10,000-8,000 B.C.)“Very Old” Over these 2000+ years, Paleo groups chased big game into North America. At the end of this time, these animals began to die off. Scientists have many theories: -End of Ice Age (early version of Global Warming) -Overhunting -Disease Humans began to move less and develop cultural ties more.
Pleistocene Overkill:intensified hunting efforts brought on in response to lowered reproduction and survival rates of large animals.
PALEO (10,000-8,000 B.C.)“Very Old” • The “Clovis Point” was the large spearhead that was used to stab the animal in the soft underbelly. (Clovis was the site where this technology was discovered • These stone points later became more delicate and lighter to be on throwing spears (rather than stabbing spears). These were called “Folsom Points” and showed how technology was improving.
ARCHAIC (8,000 -1,000 B.C.)“Old” • Why the Change? • When the Ice Age ended, the larger animals became extinct, and the people in North America did not have to travel as far to hunt the smaller animals. So these Archaic Indians moved on a more “seasonal” basis: winter on the seashore, summer in the mountains might be a year’s plan. • Though these Indians were still hunters & food gatherers, they did live longer in an area before moving. So, they lived in groups of bands, numbering 40-60 people and moved just a few times in a year. • All tools continued to be made from wood, stone, or bone; no metal tools were used by these Native Americans.
ARCHAIC (8,000 -1,000 B.C.)“Old” • Atlatl: A new weapon for hunting smaller game was created: the atlatl. • By shrinking the size of the spear, and transferring energy from the person to the atlatl to the spear, a hunter could throw this weapon from a great distance. It was a perfect adaptation for hunting smaller game. • FYI: An atlatl could throw a spear the length of a football field… on a straight line.
Atlatl Atlatl Throwing Motion Close-up View of Atlatl
Atlatl How does the weight help the atlatl’s aim & power? Atlatl bringing home the bacon! (or at least the venison!)
Woodland (1000 B.C.- 1000 A.D.) • Eventually, people in America made an important discovery. Besides gathering food and hunting, they could plant seeds and expect a corn crop to grow during the summer. The discovery of farming gives incentive for people to stay to harvest the crop.
ARCHAIC (8,000 -1,000 B.C.)“Old” • Innovations: • Stone Boiling: Rocks were placed in a fire, and then moved with two forked sticks into a pit that was lined with an animal skin and filled with water. The sticks would be used to drop the rocks in the water. The rocks would make the water boil and the vegetables could be cooked! --Pottery: As people needed less time to gather food, they had time to invent things, such as simple pottery to use in cooking.
Archaic Differences Begin to Emerge • While some groups moved seasonally, some began to stay more stationary, depending on the food source: • The Chumash (in present-day California) benefited from the food resources such as acorns, plants, etc. in the forests. • The Northwest Peoples (in present-day Washington) benefited from the abundant salmon supplies. (This period covers the same time as the Mesolithic period in European chronology.) Trading occurred between the bands, as marine shells from the oceans were found by the Great Lakes.
Woodland (1000 B.C.- 1000 A.D.) • Because food was easier to get, the need for movement was reduced. The groups of bands (of the Archaic period) grew to be tribes (200-400) of people by the Woodland period. • Men still hunted, and farming was left to the women.
Woodland (1,000 B.C.- 1000 A.D.) • Technology: • Bow and Arrow: for hunting small game such as deer or squirrel. • Dart/Blow Gun: for hunting very small game such as birds, rabbits, etc.
Woodland (1,000 B.C.- 1000 A.D.) • Examples of Woodland Tradition: • Hohokam (Southwest) • Anasazi (Southwest) • Rock Eagle (Southeast) • Corn (maize) was the major crop in most areas.
Woodland (1000 B.C.- 1000 A.D.) • Horticulture Techniques: • Girdling: This is the process of cutting down a tree with a stone axe. The Woodland Indian would cut a circle around the base of the tree trunk. Eventually, the tree would die, and could be pushed over easily. • Slash & Burn: This process involves cutting away all vegetation on the ground, and then burning it. The soil can then be used for planting, or allowed to grow back naturally. (The young plants that grow there attract deer, rabbits, etc. because those plants are the best to eat)
Woodland Landmark • One of the signs of the Woodland period in Georgia is the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound. • Quartz Rocks were piled 10 ft. high, 102 feet in length, and 120 ft. wide. • Archaeologists think Rock Eagle might have been used as a religious center for many groups in the area.
Mississippian Culture1000 A.D.- 1492 • Carrying Capacity: the number of people a given area can support with food. • The “Cahokia” (near present-day St. Louis) had a population that was estimated as high as 25,000. Though no written Indian language would occur until the 1840’s, the Cahokia did leave pictographs in clay tablets. • The Aztecs (in present-day Mexico) developed great pyramids and practiced human sacrifice in their religious ceremonies. This “mesoamerican” culture existed from central Mexico to Central America.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • As time went on, cultures got even better at growing food. Where the Woodland Indians grew corn (“maize”), the Mississippian Indians grew a variety of crops such as pumpkin, squash, beans, and many other crops.
Etowah • Etowah is a Mississippian chiefdom in Northwest Georgia (near Cartersville). • Archeologists think that the closer you lived to the center, the more important you were in the chiefdom.
Etowah’s Changing Technology V Trap: Rocks were placed in Etowah River for “Fast Food Fishing”. The fish had to swim through the hole at in the “V”, so a basket could be held there to catch them for dinner!
Ocmulgee • Ocmulgee Mounds are located near Macon. The mounds have one of the few hollow mounds that served as a meeting place for the leaders of the chiefdom. • The Black Drink was consumed in the Earth Lodge (sweat lodge) as part of the purification process- it made you throw up! Example: if you killed someone in battle, you needed to be rid of the “evilness” of that deed!
Ocmulgee • The leaders would sit on a platform in the shape of an eagle. The chief’s seat was directly in line with the door. Twice a year the 1st sunbeam of the morning would shoot in and land on the chief like a spotlight. They calculated which day this would occur and would meet before daybreak to “spotlight’ the mico.
Kolomoki • Kolomoki Mounds are near the Walter George Reservoir by the Alabama state line. • When a chief died, they’d burn his body & house on his mound. Then, after dirt was added, the son would build his new house on the grave of his father.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • Because food was easily provided, group size grew to chiefdoms (2000+ people) for this tradition. • The Chief, or mico, was the spiritual & political of the chiefdom. He could be carried down from his mound on a “litter” (a seat carried between two poles by warriors).
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1492 A.D.) • He could be carried down from his mound on a “litter” (a seat carried between two poles by warriors). • Effigy statues were often made and buried at the king at the burial.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • The chief lived on man-made mounds of dirt. Other smaller mounds might be for a lesser chief (medicine man) or a burial mound. • When a chief died, his body & house might be burned on top on the mound. Then, more dirt would be added and the new chief (his son) would live on top of the mound.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • TECHNOLOGY: • The bow and arrow was improved with the triangular arrowhead • Pottery was decorated with patterns. It was also made into many different shapes & forms.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • LEISURE TIME: “Chunkey”- A game in which two spears are thrown at a rolling stone. The one that lands closest to the stone (without hitting it) would score a point. “Bear Skull”- A game in which a skull is tied on top of a pole. The two teams try to take a dear skin ball and hit the skull with it. If they do, they get a point. If not, everyone goes for a rebound. Teams try to tackle players with the ball and steal it. If a team scores, then the other team gets the ball. “Stick Ball” – A game like our modern-day of lacrosse. Players use two netted sticks to pass the ball to teammates to get across a goal. Sometimes two chiefdoms might agree to play this game to settle a dispute rather than going to war.
Baggataway:“Stickball”Lacrosse (as later named by the French)
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • The Native Americans called the stickball game: “baggataway” (bag AT uh way). It could be used to decide disputes, instead of a war. The game of lacrosse came from this game.
Mississippian (1000 A.D.-1540 A.D.) • Famous sites: • Etowah: located in NW GA (near Cartersville), this site has 7 mounds and used the “V” trap for fishing. The chief would live on the highest mound. • Ocmulgee: located in middle GA (near Macon), this site also has mounds, including an earth mound that was hollow so that meetings could be held in there. A raging fire would make it a “sweat lodge” and the “Black Drink” would make people vomit before entering. • Question: Why would sweating and purging with the Black Drink be used at these meetings? (Hint: think about symbolism)
Mississippian Culture When the mico died, sometimes his wife and slaves were killed to accompany him to the afterlife with the Creator. Chiefdoms would dominate, then be overwhelmed by a neighboring chiefdom, or split from within. Disease and drought were other threats to the health of the chiefdom. The Aztecs (present-day Mexico) was the strongest chiefdom in mesoamerica during this time period. Animism was “a conviction that the supernatural was a complex & diverse web of power woven into every part of the natural world.” (American Colonies, pg. 18) The European cultures would struggle with this concept.
Question for the Day: Where’s the Food? • This led to a 3rd way that anthropologists describe how a group of people got their food: • MASTER FARMERS: These people could grow many different foods to feed a large number of people.
Archaeology 101 • “Hi, my name is: • Dr. U. R. Ancient!” • I’m Shiloh’s resident archaeologist. I hope you will learn a few things about the people who were here before the Europeans arrived.”
