The Emergence of Early Civilizations in the Americas
While civilizations thrived in Africa, Asia, and Europe, the Americas experienced their own unique development. The earliest Americans, who arrived during the last Ice Age, migrated across the Beringia land bridge. These initial inhabitants were largely hunter-gatherers, following herds like mastodons into a new continent. Around 7,000 B.C., agriculture began to flourish in central Mexico, prompting a shift to settled village life as communities discovered and cultivated edible plants like squash, beans, and avocados. This pivotal change laid the groundwork for advanced societies in the Americas.
The Emergence of Early Civilizations in the Americas
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 9 Section 1 A Separate World
Setting the Stage While civilizations were developing in Africa, Asia, and Europe, they were also emerging in the Americas
The Earliest Americans They are connected and span two hemispheres At one time it was connected by a land bridge known as Beringia
The Earliest Americans The first Americans arrived sometime during the last Ice Age, 1.6 million to 10,000 years ago This lowered the sea levels and created a corridor across the Bering Strait
The Earliest Americans herd animals like the mastodon moved across the land bridge Hunters followed these animals across the land bridge These people were probably unaware that they were entering a new continent
Around 7,000 B.C. a change quietly began to take place in central Mexico Such plants included squash, gourds, beans, avocados, and chilies
Agriculture The discovery of edible plants allowed people to begin settling in permanent villages
