Transcript Beringia PPT
Beringia: the “Land Bridge” between Asia and America
The Big Question… • Q UESTION : – Where did the “Native Americans” come from?
• A NSWER : – Asia.
The Big BoBo… • Q UESTION : – Why are Native Americans called “Indians?” • A NSWER : – Christopher Columbus made a big mistake...but that’s another story for another day…
a definition: Migration •
M IGRATION
: when people or animals move from one place to live in another place… • Notice: – Migrate is the root word of immigrate – Migration is the root word of immigration
5 Migration Theories • Two migration theories suggest humans crossed the Pacific Ocean to get to America.
• Two migration theories suggest humans crossed the Atlantic Ocean to get to America.
• One migration theory suggests humans crossed dry land or ice-covered land to get to America.
BERINGIA • Based on the work of
ANTHROPOLOGISTS
and by examining the
artifacts
found by
ARCHAEOLOGISTS
…the most widely accepted migration theory is the
B ERINGIA
land crossing theory.
three definitions: •
A NTHROPOLOGIST
: someone who studies people and their culture (the way they live their lives) •
A RCHAEOLOGIST
: someone who searches for the
ARTIFACTS
of the people of the past •
A RTIFACT :
anything that was made by a human (tools, weapons, clothes, etc.)
BERINGIA •
B ERINGIA
is the term used to describe the area between Siberia (in Asia) and Alaska (in North America).
• The Bering Strait (water) lies between Siberia and Alaska today.
• Anything named “Bering” is named in honor of the Russian explorer, Vitus Bering.
The Last Ice Age • c. 35,000 years ago – the last
ICE AGE
began – Earth’s temperatures fell – glacier ice grew larger and thicker – sea levels fell because water was sucked up and frozen into the glaciers
Migration • c. 30,000 years ago – people began to travel back and forth between Asia and America – probably following animal herds for food – large numbers of people moving to new places is called
MIGRATION
– people who move from place to place are called
NOMADS
Animals of North America at the time of the arrival of humans.
Migration, con’t • c. 15,000 years ago – people began shifting further to the south and east – moved into what is the present-day USA – moved through present-day Mexico – settled as far south as present-day Chile
End of the Last Ice Age • c. 10,000 years ago – the last Ice Age began to end – Earth’s temperature began to rise – climates warmed, vegetation and animals began to change – glaciers melted and sea levels rose; B ERINGIA was covered with water
A big discovery… • • c. 9,000 years ago – people living in Central America discovered how to cultivate
MAIZE M AIZE
– corn…
The effects of M AIZE • people who cultivated
MAIZE
provided an abundant food supply for their family group – encouraged permanent communities – encouraged the growth in population
Native American Cultures • people changed… – from hunting and gathering to farming and herding – from Asian style culture to “Native American” culture
Native American Cultures • “empires” grew…Maya, Aztec, Inca, etc.