Semester 2 Test 1 study guide
Cultural and biological diversity
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According to evolution humans originated in Africa.
The three reasons for people to migrate outside of Africa are: climate; there were climatic
changes that were occurring and it was getting hotter and dryer in Africa, this caused
environmental changes; the landscape changed from rainforest to savannah like environment;
due to the changes the animals had nothing to eat and they had to move out of Africa, humans
followed them; THEY MOVED 1KM PER YEAR!
CHEIK ANTA DIOP- theorized two routes that homo-sapiens took to move out of Africa
o Migrated through the Sahara into the Iberian Peninsula (Europe)
Europe
Iberian
Peninsula
Route 1
Sahara
o
Isthmus separating the Mediterranean sea and the Red sea
Mediterranean
sea
Route 2
Red sea
From where did they come?
-America was named after Amerigo Vespuci
- 1st theory Land bridge theory- the Last Glacial Maximum of the Wisconsin glacial period occurred
approximately 20,000-18,000 years ago.
-Extremely cold weather; Ice sheets formed, sea levels dropped worldwide.
-because the ice sheets were formed the sea levels dropped and some lands were exposed. The
Land bridge referred to as BERINGIA was exposed and connected Siberia to North America.
- the Paleo-Indians were following their food and they crossed the Bridge from Siberia into
North America. The bridge had a lot plants that is food for the Megafauna.
Theory 2: Propose that people first reached the Americas via water travel;
Following coastlines from northeast Asia into the Americas (PACIFIC MODEL)
THROUGH THE ATLANTIC with the use of small boats; jumping from island to island
Coastlines (OF THE BERINGEA) provided humans with access to a diverse array of plants and animals
from both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Paleo-Indian period 15000-7000 BC
-Had Asiatic origins and migrated to the Americas in pursuit of the large Pleistocene animals
(megafauna) that they relied on for subsistence. They were the first inhabitants of America.
-the basis of life was hunting and gathering
extinct)
Paleo-Indians hunted for huge mammals called MEGAFAUNA (most are now
-They followed herds of animals and hunted in groups, because of the danger the men hunted and
the women gathered fruits
With what did they kill the animals? They used the clovis point which is an arrow point. They made tools
out of bone, wood, shell and stone.
-Nomadic lifestyle because they were hunter-gatherers they were nomadic which means they moved
from place to place.
-Their society: Paleo-Indian camps were small ones, consisting of bands or groups of 20-50 people of
both sexes and all ages. Band organization was egalitarian, meaning there were no formal leaders and
no social status or classes.
-In Belize: 1960’s two bones were found in Santa familia of Giant sloths (extinct)
o
o
o
Ladyville in the 1980’s a farmer found the first fluted projectile point
In Toledo a similar point was found
In Bullet Tree; mastodon bones were found
Archaic period- 7000 BC- 3000BC
-in 7000 BC severe climatic changes occurred the weather became warmer and wetter, glaciers in the
north melted, this caused environmental changes=death of the megafauna.
-The environmental changes were such that if affected the life of the animals living in America and they
went into extinction.
- Because the large animals were not there anymore it impacted the life of the humans; the humans
began to rely on plants and hunting small animals; that is the reason this period has a different name!
-plants they domesticated: Squash, peppers, avocado, chilli, amaranth (callaloo), Manioc (cassava) and
early forms of corn.
Tools: Large stone bowls and pestles, smaller and wider projectile points (referred in Belize as LOWE
POINTS).
-focusing on Agriculture lead to a change from Nomadic lifestyle (Paleo indian period) to sedentary life
(settling). Also a shift from small bands to large bands settlements.
Where were their traces found?
-Teotihuacan Mexico Valley
-In Belize: Pulltrouser swamps, Orange walk
Comparing the changes that occurred
Paleo-Indians period
Dependency on Megafauna
Nomadic lifestyle
Clovis point
Small bands
They were not storing food
Archaic Period
Dependency on small animals and plants
Sedentary life
Lowe point
Large bands
Using pots made of stone to store food