23 AN 1511 CH 13 Holocene, America PPT (1)

Chapter 13 Early Holocene Hunters and Gatherers

Chapter Outline

• Entering the New World

• The Earliest Americans

• Paleo-Indians in the Americas

• Early Holocene Hunter-Gatherers

• Case Studies of Early Holocene Cultures

Entry Route of Humans into the New World

• Morphological variability in skeletons from the Americas and Asia indicates multiple migrations.

  • Three hypotheses:

    • Bering land bridge connecting Asia and North America during the late Pleistocene.

    • Along the northern Pacific Rim coast.

    • Following the ice edge across the northern Atlantic from Western Europe.

Bering Land Bridge

• Early inhabitants of North America possibly entered through the Bering land bridge, exposed during maximum glaciation from 25,000 to 11,000 years ago.

• Travel south was obstructed by glaciers from around 20,000 years ago until the McKenzie ice-free corridor opened approximately 13,400 years ago.

Important Northeastern Asia Sites and Regions

Bering Land Bridge Hypothesis

• Beringia: Dry-land connection between Asia and America during the Pleistocene (75,000 – 45,000 and 25,000 – 11,000 years ago).

• Tundra: Treeless plains with permafrost that supported shallow-rooted vegetation (grasses, mosses).

• The McKenzie ice-free corridor opened 13,400 years ago between two Pleistocene ice sheets but some early occupation sites predate this opening.

Native American Asian Traits

• Founder Effect leads to genetic drift, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity, predominantly blood type O.

  • Approximately 80-100% blood type O; high prevalence in North Asia and Siberia.

  • Other traits include:

    • 70% dry earwax.

    • More than 70% have shovel-shaped incisors.

    • Sinodonty: Asian dental morphology like epicanthic eye folds seen most in Inuit.

    • Minimal body hair and straight black hair.

• Genetic mutations in mtDNA suggest migration from Siberia and Northeast Asia around 20,000 years ago.

Modern Day Asian Features

• Characteristics such as flat noses and shovel-shaped incisors noted in modern populations.

Native American mtDNA

• Variability in mtDNA indicates 4-5 founding lineages, with four types Asian in origin.

• One lineage closely matches that of the Basques in Spain, suggesting multiple migrations or a single northeastern Asian lineage that underwent change.

Late Pleistocene Sites in Siberia

• Evidence shows Upper Paleolithic cultures transported from Siberia to America:

  • Excavations at Yana RHS found tools used to hunt large herbivores.

• Similarities in tool types between Siberia and the Americas noted.

• Linguistic similarities between Native American and Siberian languages.

Important Northeastern Asia Sites and Regions (continued)

Evidence of Early Boating

• On Your Knees Cave: Evidence from c. 10,000 years ago includes human remains and tools.

Pacific Coastal Route Hypothesis

• Suggests early immigrants traveled by boat along the Pacific coastal islands during the late Pleistocene.

Evidence for the West Coast Route

• Continuous environmental records indicating the coast was not glaciated.

• Significant findings from archaeological sites including human fossils and tools showing reliance on marine resources.

Comparison of Human Skull Types

• Skull casts show differences between late Pleistocene Native Americans and modern Asians, with notable features like long narrow heads.

North Atlantic Ice-Edge Corridor

• Hypothesizes arrivals from Western Europe following the edge of the ice sheet into North America.

Evidence for Solutrean Migration

• Projectile points from both Solutrean culture sites and Cactus Hill suggest cultural links.

Entry of the First Humans into the New World (revisited)

• Earliest Americans date suggested as between 19,000-14,000 years ago; notable archaeological sites include:

  • Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Monte Verde illustrating human presence well before Clovis.

Important Pre–Paleo-Indian Sites in the New World

Evidence of Clovis Point Culture

• Clovis points dominate archaeological data 13,500-13,000 years ago, linked to large mammal hunting.

• Clovis culture exhibits generalized gathering-hunting behavior.

Important Paleo-Indian Sites in the New World (continued)

Cultural Transition in the Archaic Period

• Archaic hunters adapted to post-Pleistocene conditions, leading to intensive fishing, gathering of nuts, and animal hunting.

Archaic Lifeways and Tools

• The shift in subsistence practices reflects adaptations to environmental changes following the extinction of megafauna.

Important Archaic Sites in the New World

Results of Sedentism

• Increased waste accumulation led to more disease, higher populations, and changing social structures.

• The rise of trade networks and resource control initiated complex societal organization.

Transhumance and Seasonal Migration

• Seasonal migration practices reflect the importance of following animal herds and the seasonal availability of plant resources.