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Prehistoric Native American Cultures

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Title: Prehistoric Native American Cultures


1
Prehistoric Native American Cultures
2
What is PREHISTORY?
  • History before there was written language
  • There was history before it was written down, but
    some societies just didnt write
  • Native American societies were oral and have
    always been aware of their history, even without
    writing it down.

3
Three Phases of Prehistory in North Carolina
  • Paleo-Indian Period
  • Archaic Period
  • Woodland Times (includes the Mississippian
    Culture)

4
Bering Strait Theory
  • During the last Ice Age (25,000-35,000 years ago)
    people began populating North America, coming
    across the Bering Strait from Asia
  • Around 14,000 years ago, North America was fully
    populated by people
  • It is estimated that 100 million Native Americans
    lived in North America before the arrival of
    Europeans

5
How do we know about the people that lived before
history was recorded?
They left items the items they left are
discovered today in archeological sites.
6
Various levels of social organization among
prehistoric Native Americans
Bands/Clans (20-35 people)
Tribes (several bands)
Chiefdoms (100-300 people)
States (thousands of people)
7
Paleo-Indian Period (14,000-12,000 Years Ago)
  • Family
  • People lived in bands (20-35 people), with 2 or 3
    extended families
  • Natural leadership developed
  • The social structure was based on kinship and
    skills

8
Paleo-Indian Period
  • Way of Life
  • Nomads who moved with the hunt (mostly ate meat
    and hunted big game)
  • The archeological sites left by these people are
    few with few deposits, probably because they were
    nomads
  • In North Carolina, at least one Paleo-Indian site
    has been found in every county

9
Paleo-Indian Period
  • Technology
  • Only stone material is found from this period
  • They had some of the finest tools in prehistory
  • Projectile points are most of what is found (tips
    of spears, darts, lances, etc.)

10
Projectile Points Arrow Heads
  • What are the differences?

Projectile points were created before arrow
heads. Arrow heads were not invented until
around 4000 years ago
projectile point
arrow heads
11
Projectile Points and Arrowheads of
North Carolina
12
The end of the Ice Age causes changes
  • Global warming occurs between 12,000 10,000
    years ago (it took about 2000 years)
  • It causes forests to change, thus food sources
    change
  • Something else key happens.
  • Culture evolves

13
Archaic Period (10,000-4,000 years ago)
  • Family
  • Bands got larger, containing 50-75 people
  • Tribes began to evolve consisting of closely
    related bands of people tied together by kinship

14
Archaic Period (10,000-4,000 years ago)
  • Way of Life
  • The archeological sites found from this period
    are larger
  • The people are semi-sedentary, not moving as much
    (they move with the seasons rather than the hunt)
  • They are still hunter-gatherers (nuts, berries,
    plant material)

15
Archaic Period
  • Technology
  • People begin making tools, to make other tools.
  • They create more diverse and advanced tools such
    as
  • Grinding stones
  • Dishes
  • Stone net sinkers
  • Fish hooks
  • Awls (engraving tool)
  • Drills
  • Scrapers
  • Atlatl (Spear thrower)
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