Ohio’s Early People
Chapter 1, Lesson 3Pages 28-33
A Long Time Ago
• Thousands of years ago, Earth had long periods of freezing cold Ice Ages
• What happened to the Earth?• A “bridge” of dry land appeared
between Asian and what is now Alaska
A Long Time Ago
• People from Asia began to cross the land bridge– Nomads = people without a permanent
home–Moved in bands (small family groups) and
followed herds of animals– Spread out over North and South America– Ancestors of present-day Native
Americans
Prehistoric Indians of Ohio
• 12,00 years ago reached Ohio• Lived before written history =
“prehistoric people”
Prehistoric Indians of Ohio
• Paleo-Indians first people to live in Ohio
• Nomads; hunted large animals for food
• Last Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago large animals died out– People had to adapt to survive
Prehistoric Indians of Ohio
• Archaic Indians after the last Ice Age• Fished and hunted, ate plants and
gathered nuts and berries• Built wooden tents covered with
bark/animal skin• Made tools from stone= axes,
spearheads– Tools enabled them to build canoes
began to trade
• Each group had its own culture
The Mound Builders
• Part of a larger group known as the Woodland Indians
• Arrived in Ohio 3,000 years ago• Built mounds piles of hard-packed
earth and stone– Scientists have discovered artifacts in
the mounds (spearheads, jewelry, beads)
• Included two main groups: Adena and Hopewell
The Mound Builders
• Adena villages in southern Ohio• Grew squash and sunflowers• Hunted, fished, gathered fruits• Made pottery, used stone axes and
hoes• Mounds used for burials– Important leaders – mound build over the
site–Mounds grew as more were buried
Adena Mounds
The Mound Builders
• Hopewell central and southern Ohio• Culture grew from the Adena’s• Larger mounds, many shapes– Used for religious ceremonies, social
gatherings, trading centers
• Objects made with copper and shells• Trade network stretched to Rocky
Mountains and Gulf of Mexico• Division of labor
Hopewell Mounds
The Mound Builders
• Fort Ancient Indians villages in southern Ohio 1,000 years ago
• One of the last groups of prehistoric people
• Late Prehistoric Indians– Depended on farming
The Mound Builders
• Fort Ancient Indians build villages with square or circle-shaped houses made from wooden poles
• Built mounds shaped like animals– Great Serpent Mound
The Great Serpent Mound
