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Name _________________________________________ Date

CHAPTER 9 Section 1 (pages 235–239)

TERMS AND NAMES
Beringia Land bridge between Asia

The Earliest Americans and the Americas

Ice Age Time when sheets of ice
covered large portions of North
America
BEFORE YOU READ maize Corn; the most important crop
In the last chapter, you read about African civilizations. of the Americas
In this section, you will read about the Americas’ first
inhabitants.

AS YOU READ
Use the chart below to take notes on changes related to or
brought about by the end of the Ice Age.

Ice Age Ends

Glaciers melt

rocky land bridge and entered North America for

A Land Bridge (pages 235–236) the first time. Some of the Asian people who hunt-
How did the earliest people come ed these animals followed them. The people
to the Americas? became the first Americans.
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No one knows for sure when these first people

North and South America form a single stretch of arrived. Some scholars say the people came to the
land. It stretches from the Arctic Circle in the Americas as long ago as 40,000 B.C. Others say as
north to the waters around Antarctica in the south. late as 12,000 B.C. A discovery in Chile suggests that
The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans separate the people were well-settled in that part of the
Americas from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Americas by 10,500 B.C. Since Chile lies far south of
But that was not always the case. From around the land bridge, some experts say that people need-
1.6 million years ago until about 10,000 years ago, ed many thousands of years to travel that far. For
the earth went through an Ice Age. During this this reason, they think that the first people must
time, huge sheets of ice called glaciers spread have crossed the land bridge in about 20,000 B.C.
south from the Arctic Circle. The level of the
world’s oceans went down. The lowered oceans 1. Where did the first Americans come from?
exposed land that is today again covered by water.
One strip of land, called Beringia, connected
Asia and North America. Wild animals crossed this

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Hunters and Gatherers (page 236) the same kind of radical change that had happened
in several spots in Asia and Africa. By 3400 B.C.,
How did early Americans live? they had several foods that they grew, including
These first Americans lived as hunters. One of their squashes, beans, chilies, and the most important
favorite hunting targets was the huge mammoth. one—maize, or corn. Corn grew so well that a
Over time, all the mammoths died. People were family of three could, in four months, grow enough
forced to look for other food. They began to hunt corn to feed it for two years.
smaller animals and to fish. They also began to gath- Over many centuries, farming spread through-
er plants and fruits to eat. They no longer had to out the Americas. In what is now the eastern
roam over large areas to search for the mammoth, United States and in the region of the Andes, peo-
so they settled for part of the year in one spot. ple may have discovered the idea of farming on
Between 12,000 and 10,000 B.C., the climate their own. In central Mexico, farmers became so
changed. The Ice Age ended, and the world skilled at growing corn that they could enjoy three
warmed up again. The huge sheets of ice melted, harvests each year.
and the oceans rose again to cover the land bridge Farming had the same results in the Americas
that connected Asia to the Americas. By this time, that it did in Asia and Africa. Growing food gave
though, people lived from north to south in the people a larger and more reliable food supply. As
Americas. They lived in many different environ- more people could be fed, they were healthier and
ments and found ways of life suited to the place lived longer. As a result, the population grew.
where they lived. Because farmers produced so much food, some
people could concentrate on other ways of making
2. What kinds of prey did the first Americans hunt? a living. They began to work in different arts and
crafts and learned new skills. Some people became
rich. They owned more than others and enjoyed a
higher position in society. Some people became
rulers. Others became their subjects.
Agriculture Creates a New Way
3. Why was maize so important?
of Life (pages 238–239)
How did agriculture change ways
of life?
About 7000 B.C., the people living in central
Mexico started a quiet revolution—farming. It was

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The Effects of Agriculture
Before Agriculture After Agriculture
• People hunted or gathered what they • People enjoyed a more reliable and
ate. steady source of food.
• Families continually moved in search • Families settled down and formed
of big game. larger communities.
• Groups remained small due to the • Humans concentrated on new skills:
scarcity of reliable sources of food. arts and crafts, architecture, social
• Humans devoted much of their time to organization.
obtaining food. • Complex societies eventually arose.

Skillbuilder
1. How did the development of agriculture lead to 2. How did the development of agriculture change
population growth? daily life?

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Name _________________________________________ Date

CHAPTER 9 Section 2 (pages 240–243)

TERMS AND NAMES
Mesoamerica Area that stretches

Early Mesoamerican south from central Mexico to the

northern part of modern-day
Honduras
Civilizations OImec People who flourished along
the Mesoamerican coast of the Gulf
of Mexico from 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C.
BEFORE YOU READ Zapotec Early Mesoamerican
civilization that was centered in the
In the last section, you read about the first inhabitants of
Oaxaca Valley of what is now Mexico
the Americas.
Monte Alban First urban center in
In this section, you will read about the first civilizations in the Americas, built by the Zapotec
America.

AS YOU READ
Use the time line below to take notes on the rise and fall
of early Mesoamerican civilizations.

1200 B.C. 500 B.C. A.D. 700

Olmec begin to flourish

1000 B.C. 400 B.C.

The Olmec (pages 240–241) The land gave them many benefits. It had good
clay that could be used for pottery. Wood and rub-
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Who were the Olmec? ber could be taken from the forest. The mountains
The story of American civilizations begins in to the north had stone for building. The rivers
Mesoamerica. This area stretches south from cen- could be used to move people and goods. The soil
tral Mexico to the northern part of present-day was excellent for growing food.
Honduras. Archaeologists have found earthen mounds,
The earliest known American civilizations arose courtyards, and pyramids built of stones. On top of
in southern Mexico, an area of hot rain forests. The the mounds were many monuments made of stone.
people are called the Olmec. They flourished from Some of these stone structures are very large. They
about 1200 to 400 B.C. Their culture had a great weigh as much as 44 tons.
influence on their neighbors and on peoples who Researchers are not sure whether the Olmec
lived long after them. sites were monuments to rulers or areas important
The Olmec lived along the coast of the Gulf of for religious reasons. They do think that the Olmec
Mexico in a land of dense forests and heavy rains. had many gods who stood for important forces of
nature. The most important god, it seems, was the

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jaguar spirit. Many stone monuments show figures 2. What evidence of Zapotec civilization has been
that are half-human and half-jaguar. found?
The Olmec traded with other people in the
region. In return for the products they made, they
received iron ore and different kinds of stone.
Along with their trade goods, they spread their cul-
ture to other people. For some reason, the Olmec
disappeared around 400 B.C. Historians still do not
understand why. But their influence lived on.
1. What evidence of Olmec civilization has been
found?
The Early Mesoamericans’
Legacy (page 243)
How did the early Mesoamericans
influence later peoples?
Both of these cultures left their mark on later cul-
tures. The jaguar figure of the Olmec continued to
appear in the sculpture and pottery of people who
came later. Also, the look of Olmec towns—with
Zapotec Civilization Arises pyramids, open space, and huge stone sculptures
was repeated in later times. The ritual ball games
(pages 242–243)
of the Olmec continued to be played.
Who were the Zapotec? The Zapotec also shaped the lives of later peo-
ples. Their way of writing and their calendar were
Another important early culture of Mexico was that
used by other groups. The city of Monte Alban also
of the Zapotec people. Their home was to the
influenced later peoples, who built their own cities
southwest of the Olmec in a valley that had excel-
in similar ways. These cities combined religious
lent soil for farming and plenty of rainfall. By about
purposes with the needs of the common people
1000 B.C. the Zapotec built stone platforms and
who lived in them.
temples. A few hundred years later, they developed
a kind of writing and a calendar. 3. How did the Zapotec influence later peoples?
Around 500 B.C., the Zapotec built the first city

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in the Americas. The city was called Monte
Alban. As many as 25,000 people lived there. The
city lasted as late as A.D. 700. Monte Alban had tall
pyramids, temples, and palaces made out of stone.
It had an observatory that could be used to look at
the stars. But the Zapotec culture collapsed. As
with the Olmec, historians do not know why.

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Name _________________________________________ Date

CHAPTER 9 Section 3 (pages 246–249)

TERMS AND NAMES
Chavín First influential culture in

Early Civilizations of South America, which flourished from

around 900 B.C. to 200 B.C.
Nazca Culture that flourished along
the Andes the southern coast of Peru from
around 200 B.C. to A.D. 600
Moche Culture that flourished along
BEFORE YOU READ the northern coast of Peru from
around A.D. 100 to A.D. 700
In the last section, you read about the first Mesoamerican
civilizations.
In this section, you will read about the civilizations of the
Andes.

AS YOU READ
Use the time line below to take notes on the early civiliza-
tions of the Andes.

900 B.C. A.D. 100 A.D. 700

The Chavin culture began to flourish in
South America.

200 B.C. A.D. 600

Societies Arise in the Andes The climate changes quickly from being hot dur-
© McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.

ing the day to bitter cold at night. The soil is poor.

(pages 246–249)
It was in the mountains of this difficult land that
What geographic factors made it a new civilization arose. That culture is called
unlikely for a civilization to arise? Chavín. It takes its name from a major ruin, Chavín
de Hwintar, in the Andes. At this site, researchers
Other interesting civilizations arose in the
have found pyramids, open spaces, and large
Americas far to the south of the Olmec and
mounds made of earth. The Chavín culture was at
Zapotec peoples. These civilizations grew in a very
its height from 900 B.C. to 200 B.C. It is considered
harsh environment—the Andes in South America.
the first influential civilization in South America.
This mountain range has many peaks that are more
Scientists have found objects that suggest that
than 20,000 feet high.
the Chavín culture helped shape other cultures to
Toward the northern part of South America,
the north and south of this site. At these other sites
along these mountains, lies the modern country of
are the art styles and symbols of religion found at
Peru. In this area, the mountains are steep and
Chavín. Scientists think that the main site was not
very rocky. Ice and snow cover the tops of the
the center of a political empire but was the chief
mountains during the entire year. Travel is hard.

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site of a spiritual or religious movement. People the Nazca drew these pictures for their gods to see.
from other areas may have made trips to the main The other culture of early Peru arose along the
site to pay their respects. The Chavín culture, like Pacific Coast but far to the north. This was the
the Olmec in Mexico, may have been a “mother Moche culture. It lasted from A.D. 100 to A.D. 700.
culture,” one that gave the first form to the ideas The Moche tapped into rivers that flowed down
and styles of the area. from the mountains. They built ditches to bring
water to their fields. They raised corn, beans, pota-
1. What theories do scientists have about the Chavín
culture?
toes, squash, and peanuts. They also fished, caught
wild ducks and pigs, and hunted deer.
Archaeologists have found some tombs of the
Moche people. They show that the culture had
great wealth. They have found objects made of
gold, silver, and jewels. The Moche people made
beautiful pottery that showed scenes of everyday
life. So, even though they never had a written lan-
guage, it is possible to learn much about how they
lived.
Eventually, the Moche culture also fell. As with
Other Andean Civilizations the other peoples of the Americas, the reason for
Flourish (pages 247-249) this fall is not known. For the next hundred years,
other cultures would rise and fall in the Americas.
What other Andean civilizations But most of them remained separate from one
developed? another.
Two other important cultures arose in Peru. The 2. Name three characteristics of the Moche people.
Nazca culture developed along the coast of the
Pacific Ocean in the south of Peru. It lasted from
200 B.C. to A.D. 600. The Nazca people built large
and complex systems to bring water to their farm-
lands. They made beautiful cloth and pottery.
The Nazca are most famous for the Nazca Lines.
They are huge pictures scraped on the surface of a
rocky plain. The drawings include a monkey, a spi-
der, some birds, and other creatures. The pictures

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are so large that they can be seen and appreciated
only from high in the air. Some experts think that

88 CHAPTER 9 SECTION 3