This slide is a brief overview of civilizations extant in North, South, and Mesoamerica in Pre-Columbian times.

1. Last updated: November 24, 2016
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2. We know that humans evolved in Africa thousands of
years ago in what is present-day Ethiopia. But then due
to environmental conditions, early humans were
motivated to migrate. Some migrated toward South
Africa while others migrated northeast to the Fertile
Crescent.
Much later still, other migrations would occur toward
Europe, Asia, and even Oceania. These migrations
occurred in several waves and at different time periods
as you will notice in the map on the right.
At around 67,000 years ago, humans who had been
living in the East Asian region for thousands of years
began to migrate north toward Siberia.

3. Scientists call these migrating peoples, PALEO-INDIANS.
They were hunter-gatherers who likely followed
migrating wild herds of deer.
Due to the glacial advance which occurred at this time,
the sea water level was lower than the present day
(trapped in glaciers) and this caused land which had
lower elevation to be exposed. This is the reason why a
“land bridge” between Asia and North America called
BERINGIA or Bering Land Bridge was available to the
migrating Paleo-Indians.
Paleo-Indians are believed to have hunted deer and buffalo

4. Notice the difference between the shoreline
18,000 years ago and the present day.
Often, our mental image of a “land bridge”
is a narrow strip of land. This
misunderstanding is likely caused by
misleading images found in old history text
books. It’s time to discard this notion.
As you can see on the map, Beringia was
actually a wide area of land. In fact,
migrating peoples lived on the “land bridge”
for thousands of years before moving into
the interior of North America. One thing
that prevented them from doing so, at first,
was the Pleistocene Ice Sheet (miles and
miles of glacier).

5. This posed a problem to scientists. If Paleo-Indians did not
move into North America right away because of the
Pleistocene Ice Sheet, how come there are very old fossils
and artifacts found in both North and South American
sites?
The likeliest conclusion? There was more than one route
of migration to the Americas. There was a land bridge
route AND a coastal route. By hugging the coastline
(sailing along the coast), Paleo-Indians could migrate to
the Americas even on small boats. They didn’t have to
store a large amount of food either because they could
simply land on the coast in search of food until they found
an ideal place to build a settlement.

6. New research using
genetic analysis have also
shown that the Paleo-
Indians are genetically
similar to East Asians,
Australoids (Aboriginal
Australians), Melanesians
and Central Asians.
This may be due to a
common ancestor or
these populations may
have mixed at some
point.
This is the reason why
although Native
Americans
(Amerindians) look
Asian, they don’t look
completely Asian.

7. LEGEND
hunter-gatherers
simple farming societies
complex farming societies or civilizations
This map shows us the type of human settlements that
arose in the Americas at 1000 BCE (some 3000 years ago
from today).
Notice how farming societies seem to have emerged in a
particular region, Central America and the northern
region of South America. If you think back to the physical
geography lesson we had in the first grading, what climate
belt would this area be located?
TIME TO THINK
What role does the physical characteristics of a place have
on the development of complex human societies?

9. IncaAztecToltecMayaTiahuanacoMocheAnasaziNazcaZapotecOlmecCaral Supe

12. jaguars were their spirit companion or
shamans had a very important role
first to use sap from rubber trees
fond of ball games
known for stonework, esp. colossal stone heads
also built columns, altars, temples, & pyramids
lived in the jungles along the Gulf Coast
next to the Gulf of Mexico
cultura madre
polytheists
theocracy
trade

13. polytheists
theocracy

14. “Spider
Goddess”
polytheists
theocracy

16. polytheists
theocracy
most advanced writing in the Americas
800 glyph symbols compiled in a
codex
dynasty

17. According to Aztec
myth Huitzilopochtli,
the Aztec sun & war
god, commanded them
to build their capital
city in a place where
they would find an
eagle biting a snake
while perched on a
cactus.
This symbol is found on the Mexican flag
as a homage to their origins.
Earlier groups such as the Olmec
had already taken all the good
areas for farming. The Aztec were
left with the marshy land in Lake
Texcoco.
To maximize the area they could
plant crops on, the Aztecs built
chinampas out of mud.

19. • crops included
squash, beans, and
cotton
• grown in the dry
desert climate with
the assistance of an
intricate irrigation
system
a collection of at least 18 separate towns
and villages on the northern coast of Peru,
dated to approximately 4600 years ago
(2600 CE)

23. Huaca del Sol
an object that represents
something revered,
typically a monument of
some kind

24. Muchi
c quinga
n

25. creator or sky god,
with ferocious fangs,
a jaguar headdress,
and snake earrings
human sacrifices,
especially of war
prisoners but also
Moche citizens, were
offered to appease
him, and their blood
was offered in ritual
goblets

26. Gate of the Moon
Gate of the Sun

27. Kalasasaya
a 3.5 metre tall stone
perhaps depicting a ruler,
High Priest, or god of
Tiwanaku
Ponce Monolith

28. Tiahuanacoan farmers built ingenuous raised fields surrounded by twisting water channels,
known as suka kollus. Not only providing water for crops, the irrigation channels also absorbed
heat from the sun during the day and released it at night to protect crops from frost and freezing
– a necessary innovation when your average daily temperature is less than 15 degrees Celsius.
Despite an elevation of over 12,500 feet, the area
enjoyed, at least then, predictable rains and abundant
wildlife and forage areas, as well as fertile land that could
support a large populace.
SOURCE: -. (2013). “Ancient Lost Civilizations: Tiahuanaco”. Today I Found Out.
Retrieved from http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/ancient-lost-civilizations-tiahuanaco/

29. Cuzco
quipu

30. “the Historic Sanctuary of
Machu Picchu is among
the greatest artistic,
architectural and land use
achievements anywhere
and the most significant
tangible legacy of the Inca
civilization”
~UNESCO

34. predecessors to the modern-day Pueblo Native
Americans of the American Southwest
Basketmakers

36. REFERENCES
Beck, Roger B. (2009). World History: Patterns of Interaction. USA:
McDougal Littell.
Cartwright, Mark. (2013). Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.ancient.eu
Ramirez, Stearns, & Wineburg. (2012). Holt's World History: Human
Legacy. USA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.