FIRST SETTLERS CROSSED BERINGIA
Where did the American Indians come from and when?
Numerous studies of Stone tools; Linguistics; Fossil records(Skull Valley’s small camel); as well as, studies in Oceanography & Zoogeography, Meteorology and by more recent studies of human DNA , provide strong evidence that most of the groups called “American Indians” originated from Western Europe , Africa & Asia.
A majority of settlers of The Western Hemisphere (North & South America) are thought to have crossed over the “land bridge” during the 4 to 5 thousand years that the ocean levels were some 330 feet below current levels.
This “Beringia” or “land bridge’1 was some one thousand miles wide, but only 55 miles across(East to West between ontinents) and about 150 feet above sea level at that time. There was quite a significant exchange of large land mammals (26 moved West into Siberia & 6 moved Eastward into Alaska) over the Land bridge between the continents some 5 to 10 thousand years ago, following the Wisconsin Glaciation.
Clovis Culture
The distinctive Fluted “Clovis” Indian arrow or spearhead was found in Clovis, New Mexico, lost by one of these early invaders from the North, as they followed their big game food supply during migration Southward away from the ice capped mountain ranges of the North into warmer climates.
These peoples are thought to be ancestors of the Inca, Mayas and Aztec civilizations. In much more recent times (500 to 800 years ago) the Navajo Indians, of Athabascan groups in Northern Canada & Alaska, split off and migrated into Arizona, New Mexico & Southern Utah.
They now form the largest population of American Indians in North America and have their own Navajo Nation government, based at Window Rock, Arizona.