Saturday, September 26, 2009

The First Inhabitants of our Region Part I

The first inhabitants of our region were Native Americans. It is thought that the first people in New York originally came from Asia (Siberia) by way of the Bering Strait about 11,500 years ago. They have been in North America for 40,000 years, but it took them a while to get as far as New York! The hunters and gatherers constantly walked south (away from the glaciers) in search of food.





One of the animals hunted were mammoths, a giant elephant-like animal



They probably followed them over the land bridge shown on the map above and eventually got to what is now New York State. They stopped in New York, perhaps because of the good geographic location. Lake Ontario and New York's rivers provided food, water, and a means of transportation for these early New Yorkers. The Spring and Summer season proved long enough to grow crops, allowing these early hunters and gatherers to become farmers. This permitted them to stay in one place, to form villages.
How do we know how long the Native Americans have been here? Archaeologists have done some digging and have come up with some very old artifacts that date the presence of Native Americans in present day New York State back 11,500 years! The people did not write anything down then, so the only clues we have are what the scientists find buried in the ground. They have found such things as stone axes, projectile points (arrowheads), pottery or stone bowls, and fire rings. With knowledge, an archaeologist can date these materials and tell when people lived where.
From the artifacts we now know for certain that the first inhabitants in New York State were Native Americans, and they have lived here for over 10,000 years.

DEFINITIONS:

Inhabitants- person who lives in an area

Bering Strait - a narrow body of water separating Asia and North America at Alaska

Native American - an American Indian

Archaeologists- a scientist who studies artifacts to learn about the past.

artifact - an object made by people who lived in the past.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Who were the first inhabitants of our region?

2. Where did the first people in New York originally come from?

3. How did they get here?

4. What is the Bering Strait?

5. Why did they walk south?



Answer the questions in the comment section of the blog.

When you have finished answering the questions, choose the identity Anonymous and publish your comment.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

lydia vargas

1. the first Inhabitants were the native americans.

2. the first people Originaly came from asia Sabiria.

3.They got ther by walking the land Brige.

4.a narrow body of water Sepsarating asia and
north america at alaska.

5.They Walked south in search of food.

6.These people lived in north america for 40,000 years.

7.A mammoths a animal that looks like a giant elaphant
like animal.

8.they stoped in new york because thats how far they couyld walk and lake ontario provided them foodand water.

9.the spring and summer alowed them to grow crops and become farmers and build a village.

10.because it says it in the passage.