Peopling North America

ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of MexicoKimberly Martin, Ph.D.

How We Reconstruct• Geography and Climate• Physical Anthropology

– Genetics (Mitochondrial DNA, Y Chromosome DNA)

– Anatomy

• Archaeology– Stratigraphy– Seriation– Chemical dating methods– Technology– Lifestyles

• Cultural Anthropology– Linguistics

Geography and Climate

• Pathways to the New World–Coastal/Boat Migration• Dates in South America too early for land

migration• Australia populated 40,000 YA without a

land route

–Beringia Land Bridge• Ice ages pulled water out of oceans, sea

levels dropped• Lots of archaeological evidence in areas

consistent with Beringia

Coastal Migration Routes • Southeast Asian, Japanese,

Polynesian and European boat building traditions going back at least as far as 20,000 years ago (Japan)

• Boat building materials do not survive

• Evidence of coastal subsistence based on marine mammals, fishing, shell-fish, gathering rather than big game herding.

Coastal Migration Routes

• From Southeast Asia routes north along coast and ice

• From Northern Europe (Scandanavia, Britain) to Iceland to Greenland to North America– Clovis-Solutrean Hypothesis

CoastalMigration

Routes

North PacificBefore 23,000After 15,000 YA

North Atlantic

Beringia Land BridgeConnects Siberia and Alaska

McKenzie Corridor

Berengia DatesDates BCE Beringia Pacific

Coastal Route

Mackenzie Corridor

38,000-34,000

Accessible(open)

Open Closed

34,000-30,000

Submerged(closed)

Open Open

30,000-22,000

Accessible(open)

Closed Open

22,000-15,000

Accessible(open)

Open Closed

15,000-today

Submerged(closed)

Open Open

DNAE Evidence

LGM = Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 Years Ago

A2, B2, Clb, Clc, Cld, C4c, Dl, D4h3, X2a = genetic markers that indicate a relationship with the first migrants.

A2a, D2, D2a, Cla = mutated genetic markers that evolved in North America and were carried back to Asia through back-migration.

One ancestral population between 42,000 and 21,000 YA

Physical Anthropology

•The interocular distance is broad,•The nasal angle is blunt rather than sharp,•The nasal aperture is broad from top to bottom; •The cheekbones are wide,•The palate has a somewhat rounded shape,•The incisors in the upper jaw are prominently shovel-shaped, •No edge-on-edge incisal bite.

•The nasal root is prominent• The nasal angle is acute.•The nasal spine is short• Sharp lower nasal sill with a very vague impression of bilateral gutters.• The upper dental arcade is somewhat V-shaped. •The incisors in the upper jaw are blade-like.

Nasal root is depressed and the nasal angle is obtuse. Nasal aperture is broad from top to bottom. Lower part of the nostrils has a bilateral gutter and there is no sill. Upper dental arcade has a somewhat rectangular shape. Incisors in the upper jaw are blade-likeThe face projects forward to a mild to moderate degree.

African Male Skull European Male Skull Asian Male Skull

Physical Anthropology

Blade-shaped (left) incisors Vs. shovel-shaped incisors (right)

Dental Arch Variation

Some Archaeological Dates• Clovis Culture (tools) 11,000 YA• 16,500 – 13,000 YA Pre Clovis sites in

Pennsylvania and Chili

• TWO THEORIES

• Short Chronology - 15,000-17,000 YA• Long Chronology - two waves of

migration– 40,000-21,000 YA w/ ancestors in South

America– multiple waves more recently w/ ancestors

in North America

Language AffinitiesOnly One Linguistic

Relationship Established at this point:

RECENT FINDING THAT THESE ARE RELATED:

• Ket, from western Siberia (almost extinct

• Na-Dene languages -- Athabascan tribes in Alaska, Tlingit and Eyak people, as well as Indian populations in western Canada and the American Southwest, including the Navajo and the Apache.

Problems with Reconstruction

• Lack of archaeological sites• Wide range of dates• Conflicting dates• Disagreement about the validity of

dates• New technology in genetics