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Populating The Americas

Social Studies for 9th E.G.B.

Teacher: Mauricio Torres

Early human migrations began when Homoerectus first migrated out of Africa over theLevantine corridor and Horn of Africa toEurasia about 1.8 million years ago, a migrationprobably sparked by the development oflanguage.

Early Human Migrations

Modern humans, Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa up to200,000 years ago. They reached the Near East around 125,000 years ago. From the Near East, these populations spread east to

South Asia by 50,000 years ago, and on to Australia by40,000 years ago, when for the first time H. sapiens reachedterritory never reached by H. erectus.

H. sapiens reached Europe around 40,000 yearsago, eventually replacing the Neanderthal population.

East Asia was reached by 30,000 years ago. The date of migration to North America is disputed; it

may have taken place around 14 millennia ago. Colonisation of the Pacific islands of Polynesia began

around 1300 BC, and was completed by 900 AD. Theancestors of Polynesians left Taiwan around 5200 yearsago.

Taking over the world

Taking over the world

At some point during the last Ice Age, about17,000 years ago, as the ice sheets advanced andsea levels fell, people first migrated from theEurasian landmass to the Americas.

These nomadic hunters were following gameherds from Siberia across what is today theBering Strait into Alaska, and then graduallyspread southward.

the Bering Strait Theory

Ice Age.- An ice age, or more precisely, a glacialage, is a period of long-term reduction in thetemperature of the Earth's surface andatmosphere, resulting in the presence orexpansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheetsand alpine glaciers.

the Bering Strait Theory

the Bering Strait Theory

Watercraft migration theories

• Pacific models propose that people reached theAmericas via water travel, following coastlines fromnortheast Asia into the Americas. Coastlines areunusually productive environments because theyprovide humans with access to a diverse array ofplants and animals from both terrestrial and marineecosystems.

Watercraft migration theories

The boat-builders from Southeast Asia mayhave been one of the earliest groups to reachthe shores of North America. One theorysuggests people in boats followed the coastlinefrom the Kurile Islands to Alaska down thecoasts of North and South America as far asChile.

Southeast Asians: Paleoindians of the Coast

Southeast Asians: Paleoindians of the Coast

The specifics of Paleo-Indians migration to and throughout the American Continent, including the exact dates and routes traveled, are subject to ongoing research and discussion.

IMPORTANT INFO

Draw a world map and trace three of thepossible routes used by our ancestors topopulate the Americas.

Paint each route with a different color.

Write one paragraph explaining which one ofthose routes convinces you the most.

Any answer is valid, as long as you give validarguments

Do this in a different sheet of paper and hand itin at the end of the class.

Presentation counts, so do your best!

Classwork

Classwork