The Peopling of the Americas

1
The Peopling of the Americas

• What different views exist regarding origins?
• What are traditional archaeological theories of
  origins?
• How are these archaeological theories being
  challenged?
• What are some of the ethical concerns in
  researching origins?

2
Two Views of Origins

• Archaeological
• Before 1990 archaeologists and historians agreed
  the first inhabitants came from Asia across the
  Bering Strait when sea levels were lower (13 500
  years BP)
• Since 1990 many questions surfaced contradicting
  this theory Shared plant life, structures,
  diversity of native languages and so on fostered
  this questioning

3
Two Views of Origins

• Aboriginal Perspectives
• Many First Peoples see Canada as their homeland
• They believe they have been here since Time
  Immemorial.
• Aboriginal creation stories vary, but share one
  thing in common Aboriginal peoples have no bond
  with any other place

4
Gathering Archaeological Evidence

• Archaeologists use artifacts as evidence to help
  understand past societies
• Artifacts can deteriorate with age therefore the
  method known as radiocarbon dating is used
• This process measures the age of carbon in
  artifacts and therefore tells how old an artifact
  is
• Tools, utensils and weapons are all artifacts
  archaeologists use to learn many things about the
  way people lived

5
Gathering Evidence

• Evidence of Paleo-Indian is found in their unique
  tools
• DNA analysis is now being used, however is quite
  expensive

6
Traditional Archaeological Theory

• The earliest evidence came in the form of spear
  points
• Style of spear points determined age and culture
• The Clovis Period
• 11 500 11 000 BP
• Many researchers believe hunters used spears to
  hunt some mammals into extinction
• Archaeologists believed in this model so much
  they virtually stopped digging any deeper

7
Traditional Archaeological Theory

• The Plano Period
• 10 000 7 000 years BP
• Large mammals like the camel and mammoth
  disappeared around this time
• During this time the Plano peoples descendants
  of Paleo-Indian began hunting bison
• Change in spear and arrowhead design came with
  the Plano peoples

8
Linguistic Evidence

• Archaeology does not provide all the answers
• Linguistics show how language of cultures evolves
  over time
• Language can explain culture, its interrelations
  and its differences
• Linguistics shows that the more diversity there
  is in language the more time has passed
• North America is one of the most linguistically
  diverse areas suggesting that First Peoples
  arrived here long before the Clovis period

9
Physical Anthropology

• Study past by examining human remains (CSI
  Historians)
• Believe there were several migrations of people
  to the Americas
• They also believe early peoples came from
  different places at different times

10
Theories of First Peoples Origins

• The Land Route
• Geologists believe during the last Ice Age
  (Pleistocene Era) sea levels were lower across
  the Bering Strait (between Alaska and East Asia)
• It is widely believed that many peoples may have
  migrated across this land bridge into N.A.
  between 13 500 50 000 years BP

11
A Land Route

• Geologists believe that during the last Ice Age,
  called the Pleistocene Era, sea levels were lower
  across the Bering Strait than they are today.
• A vast grassy plain called Beringia, or land
  bridge linked what is now called Siberia with
  Alaska.
• It is believed that at least 13,500-50,000 years
  ago early peoples migrated across to North
  America.
• Similar fossils discovered on both continents
  prove that large grazing animals bison,
  caribou, horses, mammoths and musk oxen migrated
  across. Early peoples probably followed the
  herds of animals.
• A stone tool radiocarbon dated 10200 BP makes it
  possible that a Pacific Coastal route was
  taken.
• BP Before Present

12
Theories of First Peoples Origins

• A Pacific Route
• This theory suggests people first came to N.A. by
  watercraft over the Pacific Ocean
• There has been little archaeological exploration
  in this area due to the belief it was covered by
  glaciers

13
A Pacific Route

• Fossil evidence of sea and land mammals and other
  wildlife dated 16800 years BP has been found
  along the Northwest Coast
• May have inhabited South America first then moved
  on to North America
• Genetic links

14
Theories of First Peoples Origins

• An Atlantic Route
• Both land bridge and Pacific theories are
  challenged by researchers who argue that early
  Asians didnt have technology that matched those
  of the Clovis period
• Theyve found evidence showing more similarities
  to technology used along the Northern coast of
  Spain
• There is also DNA evidence linking Aboriginals to
  Europeans and not Asians
• This suggests First Peoples may have come across
  the Atlantic

15
An Atlantic Route

• Clovis projectile points are more similar to
  Solutrean points found 16500-22000 years BP
  where what is now the Northern Coast of Spain.
• Solutrean an ancient culture of Western Europe
  dating from 21000- 18000 years ago
• Genetic markers linking Aboriginal Peoples to
  Europeans but not to Asians

16

• Could be a combination of all three which would
  explain the diversity of the First Peoples of the
  Americas.
• What do you think?

17
Case Study

• Develop an organizer/chart comparing the theories
  of first peoples origins (p. 18). Include the
  following in your comparison
• Brief description of the theory.
• Outline of the evidence supporting each theory.
• Arguments against each theory.
• Adapted from A. Gosney