Georgia and the American Experience Chapter 3: The Land And Its Early People Study Presentation
Georgia and the American Experience Section 1: How Did We Learn About the Earliest Peoples?
Section 1: How Did We Learn About the Earliest Peoples? Essential Question How did Georgia s prehistoric Indian tribes live?
Understanding Ancient Peoples Through Artifacts Oral Tradition: Elders repeated narratives of events often until the younger generations memorized them Archeologists dig into earth to find artifacts (items made by people) that tell us about early inhabitants Shale: Layered rock that can encase ancient animals or birds
Understanding Ancient Peoples Through Culture Anthropologists use artifacts, cave drawings, well-traveled pathways, and oral history to study a group s culture Culture: shared beliefs, traditions, music, art, and social institutions of a group of people
How humans migrated to this continent
Paleo Indian Culture Also called Old Stone Age 10,000 B.C. to 8000 B.C. Nomadic (roaming) hunters
Weapons Most tools and spear points made of stone Used an atlatl : stone sling-like implement that threw darts from a longer distance
Clovis points
Quiz Whose job is it to find these artifacts Answer Archaelogists
What type of food did they eat? Bison Mammoth Fruit and vegetables
Dwellings Temporary pits covered with animal skins or bark Caves
Evidence of Religion Burial of the dead with artifacts
Where have artifacts of Paleo Indians been found? Savannah River Ocmulgee River area Flint River area
Quiz What is it called when group of people follow their food source ANSWER Nomadic
Archaic Indians Archaic (means Old ) Early, Middle, Late Archaic period: 8,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. During the early and middle archaic period, people moved with each season to find best food resources-nomadic
Weapons Spears with the atlatl People began making hooks from animal bones to fish
Middle Archaic Began around 5,000 B.C. Water levels moved back along rivers and coastal areas Shellfish was a more common food Food was easier to find; people moved around less
Late Archaic 4,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. Created grooved axes to clear trees and bushes Began saving and planting seeds for plants and seeds for growing seasons (horticulture) Made and used pottery for storing, cooking, and serving food
Evidence of Religion Buried their dead with tools, weapons and body ornaments Believed the person would take these into the afterlife.
Where did the Archaic Indians live It appears as the climate changed and the water receded, Archaic Indians moved less frequently. Scientists found a clam and mussel shell pile 512 feet long by 300 feet wide near Augusta along the Savannah River suggesting a village located there. Tools also found in Fayette County and Coweta County
Woodland 1,000 B.C. to 1,000 A.D. Tribe: group of people sharing common ancestry, name, and way of living Hundreds of families formed tribes
Weapons Used bow and arrows to hunt The arrows were made out of bones, shark teeth, or deer antlers
Food Corn, beans, and squash which Native Americans called the three sisters.
More food Deer Rabbit Squirrel Fox
Longhouses
Evidence of Religion Held elaborate religious ceremonies, which appear to have carried across the countries with similar artifacts being found in Ohio. Begin to see a change in how people dressed Burial mounds were used for the dead.
Woodland Indian Dress Shirts Very important events required that the brave dress with style and in a much better than average way. These clothing items took many hours of detailed beadwork and extra care to dye the fabrics and hides.
Mississippian This is called Mississippian because the first villages were found along the Mississippi River. 1000-1600 A.D.. Also called the Temple Mound period People began the live in villages, farmed-they were no longer nomadic.
Weapons-Bow and Arrow
FOOD Farmed with homemade tools and grew most of their food Grew corn, beans, squash, pumpkins and tobacco.(the people no longer had to follow the food source) Deer Turkey Small game.
Wattle and Daub house
Permanent Settlements
What the Ocmulgee Mounds might have looked like in 1100AD-they are located near Macon in Bibb County
Etowah Indians Mounds in Bartow County
Kolomoki Mounds in Early/Blakely County
Rock Eagle Mound-Most likely built by Woodland Indians-located near Eatonton, GA
Evidence of Religion Very religious; used jewelry and body art More elaborate clothing and hair Burial Mounds with food and ceremonial objects Evidence of this culture disappeared during the 1600s and we don t know why
Archeological Finds Ancient middens (garbage piles) show what people ate, how they used fire, what they used for cooking Ocmulgee National Monument near Macon reveals a large ceremonial area with benches and platforms There are large temple mounds in Early, Bartow, and Bibb counties
What is a midden and why do they matter? Midden is a garbage pile from history Archaeologists consider it a treasure trove of information-why? Major finds include Stallings Island near Savannah and Skidaway Island near Savannah.
Review Questions Why is oral history important? What is the difference between artifact and fossils? Name one thing that separates the Archaic period from the Woodland period. What are the nearest mound sites to us if you wanted to visit them? What do archaeologists use to learn about ancient people?