The Peopling of the The Peopling of the AmericasAmericas

Tools of the Archaeologist & HistorianTools of the Archaeologist & Historian

Tools of the ArchaeologistTools of the ArchaeologistArtifacts: inorganic tools and

objects from earlier time periods

Archaeologists uncover a fire hearth.

Radiocarbon dating of organic substances at a site allows archaeologists to determine precise age of artifacts

Features reveal unique characteristics of prehistoric cultures (Paleo-Indian fluted grooves on projectiles)

Tools of the ArchaeologistTools of the ArchaeologistDNA analysis allows

archaeologists to determine relationships to other human lineages

DNA can identify connections between today's native peoples and European or Asian ethnic groups

Tools of the HistorianTools of the Historian Linguistics: the study of

the structure of languages

The amount of linguistic diversity found in an area provides a clue to how long humans have lived there

It takes a long period of time for language to diversify (produce different dialects)

Tools of the HistorianTools of the HistorianPhysical

anthropology: the analysis of human remains

Actual skull and clay recreation of Kennewick Man (9000 year old fossil)

Spirit Cave Man, Nevada (10 700 year old fossil)

Wizards Beach Man (10 400 year old skull)

Examination of physical features, skull shape and other characteristics indicates connections between past and present racial/ethnic groups

Tools of the HistorianTools of the Historian

Geology: the study of past geological eras such as the Ice Age (Pleistocene Era) sheds light on physical conditions that may have helped/hindered human migration to North America

Wooly mammoths became extinct at the end of the last Ice Age.

Vast ice sheets covered most of Canada until around 13 500 years BP

Tools of the HistorianTools of the Historian

Native mythology and oral traditions

Native legends contain clues about the North American environment that suggest how long native peoples have been here