Paleo-Arkansans lived in Arkansas from 11,500 BC to 9,500 BC and were among the first humans to arrive in North America, likely crossing over a land bridge that once connected Russia and Alaska. As hunter-gatherers, they hunted now-extinct megafauna like mammoths and sloths and lived in small, mobile groups. Over thousands of years, they would eventually be referred to as Native Americans or Indians.

1. Paleo-Arkansans (11,500 BC to 9,500 BC)
- Bridge land (glacier) connected Russia and
Alaska
- This is likely how the first humans made their
way to North America
- Over the course of time, these people would be
referred to as Indians
- Chris Columbus gave the name….thought he
was in the West Indies when he landed in
America
- We can date Indian’s in Arkansas date back to
10,000 BC
- Hunters and gathers
- They hunted mammoths, mastodons, sloths,
musk ox, and tapir
- They lived in smaller groups and moved
frequently