Native Americans before Columbus15,000-1492

“Native Americans around a Fire” by

Theodore de Bry 1590

Origins Native Americans crossed the Bering

land bridge from Asia over hundreds of years

Why? Natives were hunter/gatherers, and followed herds of Mastodons, Elk, and even Caribou.

Settlement Native Americans followed herds and

the coastlines, eventually settling at MONTE VERDE, in South America, the oldest human settlement in the New World (C.A. 12,000 B.C.)

Societies Over time, Native Americans developed

different societies, based on geography and food economy.

Most developed were found in Central and South America.

Early Society Examples Olmecs (1,500 B.C.-) controlled trade

networks in Southern Mexico, cities at San Lorenzo and La Venta

Zapotecs (1,300 B.C.-750 A.D.) First Native People to develop writing and a calendar. Capitol is at Monte Alban

,Diagram of Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico.

1. South Platform,2. Building "M", 3. The Danzantes, 4. Building IV,5. North Platform,6. Ball Court,7. Building II, 8. The Palace9. Building "J“10. Tomb 10711. Tomb 104,12. Stela, 13. Sunken Patio14. Building 115. The VG Complex16. Jewelled Building,

(above)Map of Olmec heartland (south of the GOM)

(right) two giant basalt stone heads, showing a former king or warrior of San Lorenzo.

(bottom) excavation of Olmec head at San Lorenzo, 1942.

Native Americans in North America NC and US native americans developed

over time through four steps. Paleo-Indians: (old-indians) 15,000-8,000 BC were nomadic, hunter gatherers only,

limited tools and technology.

(left) an Atl-atl or spear thrower used to hunt large animals like Mammoth.

(right) Clovis Point evidence of human hunting at Clovis NM, around 12,000 bc

Native Americans in North America

Archaic- (forest indians) 8,000-1,000 BC end of the ice age and death of the large animals

meant change in hunting tech and styles. Spread all across Eastern NC, gathering nuts,

berries, shell fish, acorns, and small game. To the left are examples of new spear points

developed during this time, most famous is the Hardaway point, found in Stanly county. These are designed for small game.

Native Americans in North America Woodland-(settlement indians) 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D These NA lived in small seasonal

villages, produced pottery and had small gardens.

By hunting white tailed deer, rabbit, and other small game developed the new tech bow and arrow.

Above right: woodland era pot (ad 300) found in Haywood county.

Left: Arrowheads found near the town of Badin, Stanly county

Native Americans in North AmericaMississippian period: (Village farmers)1000-1650 ADHeavily influenced by meso-american

agriculture based on corn, squash, and beans. (called the three sisters by the Cherokee)

Agro creates population boom, which leads to walled towns, and mud pyramids

Two examples of MP towns Town creek Indian mound:

Montgomery county. Classic example of MP town in NC, a

political center where disputes were resolved between tribes.

Cahokia: largest MP city in North America, located near St. Louis Missouri.

larger than London, England in 1250. (had 20,000 people living there.

Relied on large trade networks and resource production, named after a tribe that lived there in the 1600’s

http://www.cahokiamounds.org/explore/timeline

Below left artist’s rendition of Cahokia circa 1250 ad.

Below right, town creek Indian mound, around 1100 ad.

NC TribesTribe name Details Region

descriptionResource

Cherokee • S.Appalachian mountain range.

• Arrived 8000 BC

• Woodland lifestyle w/ MT style religion

• “DUYUKTFE” or balance and harmony, philosophy of equality.

• Family lines traced by mother

• “Keepers of the Sacred Fire”

• Mountains of NC• 100 mts over

5,000ft• Mt Mitchell 6,684

ft highest mt west of the Mississippi

• Thin rocky soil, hard to raise enough food for large groups

• Often relied on Cash crops for trade.

Chiefly pottery, stone for arrowheads and

tobacco.

NC Tribes

Tribe name Details Region Description

Resources

Tuscarora • Known as weavers of the hemp cloth

• Politically aligned with the Iroquois league and the northern tribes

• Property rights and family tree traced along the mother’s line or the Clan Mother

• Mighty Warriors

• Coastal Plain: Best Farmland in the state, large region between the Piedmont and Tidewater

• Made up of sandy Hills, and Pine Forests.

Agricultural products, Maize, Squash, Beans

Bibliography http://ncpedia.org/history/early/native-settlement http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/cahokia.html http://ncpedia.org/history/early/native-settlement http://people.wku.edu/darlene.applegate/newworld/webnotes

/unit_3/monte_alban.html

http://www.micahwright.com/olmec/colossal.html http://www.rla.unc.edu/lessons/Lesson/L301/L301.htm http://www.rla.unc.edu/lessons/Lesson/L302/L302.htm http://www.rla.unc.edu/lessons/Lesson/L304/L304.htm http://www.rla.unc.edu/lessons/Lesson/L303/L303.htm http://www.nchistoricsites.com/town/ceremonial-center.htm http://www.cahokiamounds.org/explore/cahokia-mounds/cent

ral-palisade/summer/1 http://www.eachtown.com/Illinois/City/Cahokia;9731/

Additional Websites

Cherokee language clip http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/10

168 Cahokia timelinehttp://www.cahokiamounds.org/explore/timeline