List of archaeological periods (North America) Facts for Kids

North American archaeological periods are like chapters in a very old history book. They help us understand the different times and ways of life of the first people in North America, long before Europeans arrived. Archaeologists study old tools, homes, and other things left behind to figure out these periods. They divide this long history into big chunks, from the very first humans to the time when Europeans started settling here.

How We Classify History
The Main Periods of North America
See also

How We Classify History

Long ago, in 1958, two archaeologists named Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips came up with a way to sort the different periods. They divided the past into five main stages. For North America, three of these stages are most important:

The Paleo-Indian stage (also called the Lithic stage)
The Archaic stage
The Formative stage (or Post-Archaic stage)

Today, archaeologists often use more detailed local classifications. This is because different parts of North America had unique histories and cultures.

The Main Periods of North America

Archaeologists use these periods to talk about how people lived, what tools they used, and how their societies changed over thousands of years.

Paleo-Indian Period (18,000 – 8000 BCE)

This is the earliest time when humans lived in North America. These first people were hunters who followed large animals like mammoths and giant bison. They used special stone tools, especially spear points, to hunt.

Clovis Culture: One of the most famous groups from this time is the Clovis culture. They lived around 11,500 to 10,800 BCE. They are known for their unique, fluted spear points.
Folsom Tradition: Later, around 10,800 to 10,200 BCE, the Folsom tradition developed. They also made special spear points, but these were designed for hunting a type of ancient bison.

Archaic Period (8000 – 1000 BCE)

After the Paleo-Indian period, the climate changed. Large ice sheets melted, and many big animals disappeared. People had to adapt to new environments. During the Archaic period, people started to hunt smaller animals and gather more plants. They also began to use a wider variety of tools.

Early Archaic (8000 – 6000 BCE): People started using tools for grinding seeds and processing plants. They also developed new ways to hunt, like using atlatls (spear throwers).
Middle Archaic (6000 – 3000 BCE): During this time, people began to settle in one place for longer periods. We see the first signs of early mound building, like at Watson Brake in Louisiana.
Late Archaic (3000 – 1000 BCE): This period saw more complex societies. The Poverty Point culture in Louisiana, for example, built large earthworks and traded goods over long distances. In the Arctic, the Arctic Small Tool tradition shows how people adapted to cold environments.

Post-Archaic Period (1000 BCE – Present)

This long period includes what archaeologists sometimes call the Formative, Classic, and Post-Classic stages. It's when societies became even more complex. People started farming, building larger villages, and creating pottery.

Cultures of the North

Norton Tradition: In the Arctic, groups like the Norton tradition (1000 BCE – 800 CE) developed unique ways of life, including using oil lamps and making pottery.
Dorset Culture: The Dorset culture (500 BCE – 1500 CE) were skilled hunters and carvers, known for their small, detailed art.
Thule People: The Thule people (200 BCE – 1600 CE) are the ancestors of today's Inuit people. They were excellent whale hunters and used dog sleds.

Cultures of the Southwest

The Southwest saw the rise of several important farming cultures:

Ancestral Puebloans: These people, sometimes called Anasazi, lived from 1 CE to 1300 CE. They built amazing cliff dwellings and pueblos, like those at Mesa Verde.
Hohokam: From 200 CE to 1450 CE, the Hohokam developed complex irrigation systems to farm in the desert.
Mogollon: The Mogollon culture (700 CE – 1400 CE) were known for their distinctive pottery and pit houses.

Cultures of the East

The eastern part of North America saw the development of the Woodland and Mississippian cultures.

Woodland Period (1000 BCE – 1000 CE): During this time, people started making pottery and farming more.
- Early Woodland: The Adena culture (1000 – 100 BCE) built large burial mounds.
- Middle Woodland: The Hopewell culture (200 BCE – 500 CE) was famous for its large earthworks and wide trade networks across North America.
- Late Woodland: People started living in larger, more permanent villages.
Mississippian Culture (900 – 1500 CE): This was a major period of mound-building societies. They built large ceremonial centers and farmed corn, beans, and squash.
- Cahokia: One of the largest Mississippian cities was Cahokia, near modern-day St. Louis. It was a huge city with massive mounds and a complex social structure.

List of archaeological periods (North America) facts for kids

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