The first human beings came from Africa. Now how, when and from where did the first human beings arrive in America?


They were the ones who truly discovered the continent, and that is impressive!

During the last ice age, there was a migration from Eurasia, through modern day Alaska, into America. I'm not sure of the exact date though.

There's some evidence of another separate migration fr Europe to America via Greenland, at about the same time. I think in regards to the Clovis people/culture.

Yep, the Bering strait was covered with ice so they migrated from Russia all the way to the America's.

So they went over the ice and dindn't use boats. I see, you guys have been most helpful.

They also came via boats from the Pacific to South America.

EA

Some time between 35,000 and 10,000 BC... Probably in several waves of peoples, and maybe some subsequent (unrecorded) immigration by boat.

Originally posted by Ehecatl Atzin
They also came via boats from the Pacific to South America.

EA
The evidence for this theory is dubious at best. They may have reached Easter Island, but i'm not sure they could have reached South America.

The only hard evidence is for a Bering straight crossing. Most liekly when it was covered in Ice.

The Bering Strait seems the most logical crossing point. Thousands of years ago, it was covered in ice, so no boats were needed. I have heard of some theory stating that people came TO Asia FROM America, though I don't know much about that theory.

Yep, as everyone else has sadi, the land bridge is the answer (how ever i prefer a more modern esmiate, due to tech similarites).

We talked about this in world studies not long ago... Should've taken better notes... :o

Anyway, the theory about having most/all cross via Bering Strait 10,000 years ago is getting a little less valid as more info is uncovered. One of the few things I can remember from the lecture, though- If all the people crossed over via the Bering strait, wouldn't the Native Americans all share traits with the peoples of Eastern Russia/Siberia?

They would have either had to have had other influences as well, such as people migrating from, say, Europe, and other areas of the world, or would have had to arrived much earlier, so they could develope the distinct characteristics that make them different from the folks in Siberia.

My world studies teacher said he would try to hunt down the links for our class that show this new evidence. As soon as those are made available to me, I'll be sure to share them with you :). And, err, uhh, sorry if this post is pretty disorganized, but, I hope you get the idea :).

Oooo oooo ooooo tell me more about the Greenland migration (interested)

Originally posted by WildFire444
Yep, the Bering strait was covered with ice so they migrated from Russia all the way to the America's. Actually, there was a "land bridge" connecting Asia and N. America at the time - sea level was a little lower than it is now.
And yes, there is emerging evidence that there may have been even earlier human residents in the Western Hemisphere.

note: i didn't bother reading the rest of the posts, just saw the title and answered.

anyway, thousands of years ago, a european (french) tribe crossed the atlantic in small canoe type boats - you can see similar boats in alaska today.

they crossed the atlantic moving from one iceberg to another.

eventually, they reached america.

They walked.

Originally posted by DiamondzAndGunz
Anyway, the theory about having most/all cross via Bering Strait 10,000 years ago is getting a little less valid as more info is uncovered. One of the few things I can remember from the lecture, though- If all the people crossed over via the Bering strait, wouldn't the Native Americans all share traits with the peoples of Eastern Russia/Siberia?

Well DNA studies have shown they do have alot in common with East Asians, not nessearily Russian considering Russians displaced alot of natural inhabitants of Siberia. There are theories that not all Native Americans have common ancestory with East Asians but they still believe most do. I have yet to here a crediable argument against the bering straight idea.

They DO have a great deal in common with Asians --- the Alaska natives more so than others, who have been over here longer / wandered farther / came across earlier.

And, as others have pointed out, not walking across ice, but bare ground: during Ice ages the sea level is much lower, and during the last Ice age almost all of Alaska was ice-free except for the mountains, even while Ice was completely covering eastern Canada and the Great Lakes.

Edward beat me to it.

Guys, it wasn't an ICE bridge. It was a land bridge. Since it was the ice age, the poles were much larger, and took up a lot of the ocean water, and there's a mountain range under the Bering Strait, that wasn't submerged during the ice age.

Originally posted by DiamondzAndGunz
Anyway, the theory about having most/all cross via Bering Strait 10,000 years ago is getting a little less valid as more info is uncovered. One of the few things I can remember from the lecture, though- If all the people crossed over via the Bering strait, wouldn't the Native Americans all share traits with the peoples of Eastern Russia/Siberia?


Keep in mind too the genetic drift that would occur over several hundred generations. Yes, they are simular, but the drift is there.

I had more information, but it's ten years old, and unreliable. As I recall, tho, there were three distinct migrations over the past 17,000 years. Well, before Columbus came and 'discovered' America. Wish I could remember. . . .

Originally posted by AdamSmo
Guys, it wasn't an ICE bridge. It was a land bridge. Since it was the ice age, the poles were much larger, and took up a lot of the ocean water, and there's a mountain range under the Bering Strait, that wasn't submerged during the ice age.

:goodjob: thanks for the reminder

Keep in mind, there is strong evidence that there were natives in South America as long ago as 15000 years ago. There must have been others.

As someone who's done a lot of canoeing, and some fishing, along the coasts of British Columbia, and also hiked not only through these forests but also upon a glacier, I feel qualified to say how best to get across, say, to the Korean peninsula.

Japan Airlines :p

Or low-tech:

First of all, I'd assume that wherever I am in my journey, I'd need a constant supply of food and water (or ice). That is, I'm not going to pack a half ton of butter and sled it towards some uncertain destination, and I'm not going to trudge off northward in hopes of bumping into sparse or nonexistent herds. I wouldn't endeavor to mountaineer my way along the craggy and treacherous coast, either, despite some coastal vegetation and the odd bird egg. I want to have fresh ready food all the way across, anytime I'm hungry - meat and greens no less.

First, I'd paddle up to the Queen Charlottes, home of the Haida, who still build the best oceangoing canoes there are. Such canoes crew dozens, and are capable of whaling. Or I might paddle onward in my canoe to the Aleutians where live the Aleuts (makers of fine kayaks) and get an expedition started. By then, I'd be half way to Asia already. What I really like about going by sea is the temperate influence of the water. The North Pacific remains much warmer, day and night, throughout the year, than any inland place. I also enjoy the constant abundance of fish and seaweeds, and whales and seals (but I'm too cowardly or squeamish to harpoon those). Near the shore, I can pick crabs and whatnot, anytime, and repair the boat or wait out a storm. I might even get to like the Aleut life, paddling round the Alaskan coasts, and linger there.

I'd keep going this way to Japan, already sick of Japanese food. There I'd have my kayak photographed and shown in newspapers, since there can be no archeological record (and no proof later) of my journey.