Early Man in America

Man may have entered the American continent as long ago as 30,000 years B.P. (before the present time). Certainly by 12,000 years B.P. evidence exists of hunting parties which had travelled from the Asian land mass, across Beringia and into North America following herds of Pleistocene fauna (mammoth, bison, caribou and others).
These people had both a well-developed culture and a tool kit which enabled them to continue their lifestyle into what we call the New World (a 15th century A.D. European term). Though subject to the vagaries of nature they were fruitful and multiplied as they roamed the Great Plains and grew both in numbers and in cultural refinement.
The earliest accepted sites are termed the Llano culture. Radiocarbon dated at 11,500 to 11,200 years B.P. the sites in New Mexico and Arizona contain Clovis fluted points (named after the site near Clovis, N.M.) associated with mammoth remains (kill sites, at or near marshes or bogs). There are similar sites in Texas and Mexico.
The Folsom and Plano cultures, generally sequential but transitional, are better known because of the nature of the type sites. There are occupation areas (campsites), not just kill sites. The "Folsom", after the site at Folsom, New Mexico, is best exemplified by the Lindenmeier site in Colorado. It has produced the greatest variety of aritfacts; not only large points (used to hunt megafauna) but tools for working bone and wood. This is not to say that these resources were not worked before this time only that this site has yielded these tools.
Plano sites show finer flint-knapping techniques; additionally, grinding stones are found indicating that they milled vegetal resources as a part of their food production. Plano sites increase in frequency indicating an expanding population.
And so the archaeological record continues. Though the mammoth, long-horned bison and other large animals became extinct by about 6,000 B.P., hunters continued to use the available resources: modern bison, elk, deer and numerous smaller species for their meat as well as other cultural needs. Their technology became more refined. With population growth came more complex social structures. All of these things continued through to the modern tribes of native Americans until their devastating contact with technologically superior Europeans and their haughty ideals.
These "points", "tools" and other works in stone (and bone) are really works of art in their own right. One can only appreciate the workmanship upon seeing the real items such as in a local museum. On a surface survey of a site in California with an archaeologic team from my local University, I came upon a beautiful transparent pink quartz knife - the highlight of my short-lived career in that field.
Studies are necessarily limited by the found sites. There must be many sites still buried, perhaps never to be found, which would help us gain further insight to man's movement into the continental Americas. The Lindenmeier site itself was found by amateur archaeologists when they happened upon long-buried strata revealed by a naturally cut gully and then reported the site to a professional.
Beringia - the land "bridge", perhaps 1000 miles wide, which existed in the area between what is now known as Siberia and Alaska. So much water was locked up in glaciers that the sea level lowered - 300 feet or more - and exposed a considerable amount of land surrounding the present day continents.
It has also been postulated that hunters could have crossed the ice itself which could place them in the Alaskan area even further back in time.
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