A BRIDGE IS CROSSED

The image below is a photo of the exhibit panel. Following it is a transcript of the panel.

Photo of the panel from the exhibit.

Stone points crafted more than 10,000 years ago are the first evidence of humankind on this continent.

The first fossils of Homo sapiens come from Africa, but our species quickly spread throughout the world. Humans first came to North America during the Ice Ages, via the Bering Land Bridge between what is now Alaska and Siberia.

Paleo-Indians: people whose tools and other artifacts are found in North America with the remains of Ice Age mammals

When? 12 to 10 thousand years ago

Stone tools first appeared about two million years ago, in Africa, with the remains of a hominid called Homo Habilis . The hominid Homo erectus , known from Asia, Africa, and Europe, used a variety of stone tools and hand axes.

Paleo-Indians made highly refined tools, including spear points, scrapers, awls, and knives. They used specific types of stone for some tools, but many other tools were made of bone or mammoth tusk. These objects have been found across much of North America.

These people probably traveled often, hunting large mammals and foraging for plant foods. Paleo-Indian artifacts and skeletal remains enable archaeologits to explore and understand their culture.

PICTURE CAPTIONS:

Some Paleo-Indian Sites

  1. Dent
  2. Blackwater Draw
  3. Lehner, Naco, Murray Springs
  4. Koster
  5. Wacissa River
  6. Flint Run (Thunderbird)
  7. Shawnee-Minisink
  8. Plenge
  9. Bull Brook
  10. Vail
  11. Debert