Ancient Americas

The Four Major Culture Periods of Pre-Contact Native Americans

What does “culture” mean?

Culture is the set of learned beliefs, values, styles, and behaviors generally shared by members of a society or group

What does “pre-contact” mean?

Pre-contact, also known as Pre-Columbian, refers to the time period before Christopher Columbus visited the Americas (pre-1492)

Before this!

B.C. and A.D. vs. B.C.E. and C.E.

What does B.C. stand for? Before Christ

What does A.D. stand for? Anno Domini (In the year of Our Lord)

What does B.C.E. stand for? Before Common Era

What does C.E. stand for? Common Era

Origins of the American Indians Probably came from Eastern Siberia Most likely crossed on the Bering Land

Bridge, a natural bridge that crossed the Bering Strait (no longer exists)

Paleoindian Culture

10,000-8,000 B.C.E. (North Carolina) Crossed Bering land bridge around 12,000 B.C.E.

Indians of this time period were nomadic (moved from one place to another)

Hunter-gatherers Hunted large game, such as Wooly Mammoths

Used stone weapons and tools

Questions:

1. Which spear points were first used?

2. Which ones were later used?

3. What did they use them for?

4. How were they constructed differently over time?

Archaic Culture

8000 B.C.E. - 1000 B.C.E. Semi-nomadic – used base camps Hunter-gatherers

Hunted smaller game, such as deer Developed atlatl (a short stick which uses

leverage to achieve great velocity in spear throwing)

Developed crude stone pottery Used and developed more stone tools Buried dead with care – belief in afterlife?

Atlatl

Woodland Culture

1000 B.C.E. - 1000 C.E. Lived in semi-permanent villages Practiced Horticulture (farming = secondary

source) Hunted deer Gathered food Grew crops – squash, maize, sunflowers

Developed clay pottery to cook and store food Developed the bow and arrow Buried dead with great care

Mississippian Culture

1000 C.E. - 1650 C.E. Lived in permanent villages Practiced agriculture (farming = primary source)

Squash, beans, maize (corn) Built ceremonial mounds

e.g. Town Creek Indian Mound Organized groups – chiefs, rule by consensus,

priests, hereditary rule Matrilineal Descent System – lineage and

membership in groups are inherited from one's mother

Town Creek Indian Mound

SAS Lesson 1342 – video clip

Indian Civilizations What is a civilization?

A society with complex social hierarchies and organized, institutional governments

Mississippians, Aztecs, Inca, Maya, and hundreds of others!

European Explorers

During the Age of Exploration, European explorers came into contact with the indigenous (native) population of the Americas

Columbian Exchange

What was the Columbian Exchange? Exchange of culture, peoples, plants, animals, and

diseases between the “Old World” (Eastern Hemisphere) and the “New World” (Western Hemisphere)