Beringia the Land Bridge between Asia and America

Beringia: the “Land Bridge” between Asia and America

The Big Question… • QUESTION: – Where did the “Native Americans” come from? • ANSWER: – Asia.

The Big Bo. Bo… • QUESTION: – Why are Native Americans called “Indians? ” • ANSWER: – Christopher Columbus made a big mistake. . . but that’s another story for another day…

a definition: Migration • MIGRATION: 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 BERINGIA land crossing theory.

three definitions: • ANTHROPOLOGIST: someone who studies people and their culture (the way they live their lives) • ARCHAEOLOGIST: someone who searches for the ARTIFACTS of the people of the past • ARTIFACT: anything that was made by a human (tools, weapons, clothes, etc. )

BERINGIA • BERINGIA 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; BERINGIA was covered with water

A big discovery… • c. 9, 000 years ago – people living in Central America discovered how to cultivate MAIZE • MAIZE – corn…

The effects of MAIZE • 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.

Beringia: the“Bridge” between Asia and America