Native Peoples and Ancient Civilizations

Study Guide and Overview

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Focus on civilizations in North America, Mesoamerica, and Africa before European exploration.
Archaeological evidence shows that the first people to arrive in the Americas came from Asia via Beringia during the last ice age (approximately 13,000 - 2,000 years ago).

Paleo Indians were the first arrivals, significant for establishing trends in North American native life.
Primarily nomadic, engaged in hunting (woolly mammoths, mastodons, bison) and gathering by traveling in small bands of 15-50 people.
Utilized rudimentary stone tools and gathered food based on seasonal availability.
They interacted and traded with one another as nomadic groups.

Paleo Indians primarily inhabited northern regions (Alaska, Canada, northern U.S.) with evidence suggesting movement towards Central and South America.

Following the ice age, diversity in lifestyle and diets increased due to changes in environment and extinction of large fauna,
Adaptation led to more varied forms of living and food sources.

First permanent society in Mesoamerica (2000 BCE - 1200 BCE).
Developed farming practices (staples: squash, corn, beans), leading to a stable, non-nomadic society.
Structured as a chiefdom with defined rulers, religious practices (temples), and significant artwork (Olmec heads representing deities).

Powerful city-state near modern Mexico City; one of the largest cities in the world by the first and second century CE (population ~100,000).
Known for religious temples (e.g., Temple of the Sun and Moon) and pottery.
Established extensive trade networks throughout Mexico, influencing smaller communities both culturally and economically.

Emerged in the Yucatan Peninsula in the first century CE, influenced by Teotihuacan.
Known for advanced achievements: religious temples, hieroglyphic writing, calendars, and numerical systems.

Dominant empire in present-day Mexico, peaking around 1300-1400 CE.
Capital: Tenochtitlan, notable for engineering (built on a lake, extensive urban planning, aqueducts).
Engaged in human sacrifice as part of their religion and established regional dominance through trade and military power.

Thrived in South America (Peru) beginning around the 11th century.
Capital: Cusco, high in the Andes; known for agricultural advancements (corn, potatoes, livestock) and sophisticated infrastructure (terracing, irrigation, roads).

By the first century CE, various permanent societies emerged across different regions, each with unique characteristics (language, food, social organization).
Examples:
- Mississippians: Lived in the Mississippi River Valley; known for Cahokia, featuring pyramids and extensive trade networks.
- Pueblos: Cliff dwellers in the Southwest, known for impressive clay structures and drought-resistant farming.
- Hopewell: Located in Ohio, renowned for elaborate burial mounds and astronomical knowledge.

Established large extended kinship networks unlike European nuclear families.
Defined gender roles: men as political leaders and hunters; women as caregivers and sometimes religious leaders.
Polytheistic religions focused on earth and nature, contrasting with European monotheism.
Advanced agriculture: domestication of crops and livestock, leading to effective food production systems.

The myth that Columbus discovered America is inaccurate; other explorers (Vikings) reached North America well before him.
Viking leader Leif Erikson established temporary settlements in Vinland (Eastern Canada).

Prominent kingdoms in North and West Africa focused on ancestral worship, trade, including gold (important in the Kingdom of Mali), and Islam.
Mansa Musa of Mali exemplified wealth and power through gold supplies and mosque construction.

Major kingdoms (England, Spain, France) competed for dominance with intertwined church and state relations.
The feudal system established social hierarchies involving serfs and lords.

The bubonic plague decimated Europe's population in the 14th century, drastically changing societal structures.

Understanding the complexity of each civilization and region is essential for grasping early narratives in American history.
The next lecture will cover the emergence of the Atlantic world.