Peopling North AmericaANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of Mexico

Kimberly 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