Paleo People

The first people to live in Georgia were the Paleo Indians. The word Paleo means very old, and they lived in Georgia from 11000 - 8000 B.C.E. Archaeologists, scientists that study old civilizations, have found artifacts from the Paleo people. Artifacts are man-made objects like spears or arrowheads.

The Paleo people migrated alot, and they followed big game animals like wooly mammoths, bison, mastodons, and giant sloths. The Paleo people gathered nuts and berries to eat, also. The Paleo people would be forced to move once all the big game animals were killed and berries gathered. The Paleo people moved too much to build permanent houses, and they mostly lived in caves and in pits.

The Paleo people used a spear like weapon called the atlatl, which allowed them to hunt animals from a distance. Scientists think that the Paleo people had a religion because they buried their dead with a fine red powder.

Archaic People

The Archaic Period lasted from 8000 - 1000 B.C.E. During the Archaic period, the climate became warmer and the air drier. The people experienced seasons for the first time. The warm temperatures melted frozen water, and the Archaic people began fishing.

The Archaic people ate mussels and clams, and they left the shellfish trash in big piles called middens. A huge midden pile has been found on the Savannah river, which shows where the Archaic people lived in Georgia.

They developed stone knives and scrappers for cutting. The Archaic people made pottery and cookware, and they developed a new tool, a grooved-axe. They began using fire to cook food and stay warm, and they built small simple housing.

Like the Paleo people, the Archaic people used the atlatl for a weapon. They improved the atlatl for hunting.The atlatl was weighted, and the hunters used it to fling the spear farther and more accurately. The new spear helped the Archaic people hunt more effectively. The Archaic people tended to hunt smaller game like deer and rabbits because the big game had become extinct.

For most of the Archaic period, the people migrated when they needed to find food.Near the end of the Archaic period, the people began building more permanent houses and settlements. Scientists think that the Archaic people had a religion because they buried their dead with tools, weapons, clothes, and jewelry. By burying their dead with these items, it makes scientist think they believed in a life after death.

Woodland Indians

The Woodland peoples lived from 1000 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E. and developed more adanced villages. They built their villages into large circles of 20 houses. The Woodland people joined together to for tribes.

Woodland people had more advanced technology than the Paleo and Archaic people. Their technology included decoreated ceramic cooking pots and pottery. Their pottery was made of sand and grit, which made it last longer. Woodland people traded with Native Americans over a loarge area. They traded for shells, rare stones, minerals and copper.

The Woodland people developed farming techniques, and they began growing corn, squash, and greens. They still fished and gathered nuts and berries like the Archaic people. The Woodland people, also, hunted small game.

The Woodland people developed the bow and arrow. The bow and arrow made hunting easier than using an atlatl. The bow and arrow allowed the Woodland people to defend themselves from enemy and animal attacks.

The Woodland people had religious ceremonies. The built small earth mounds for ceremonies and burials.

Archaeologists found pipes, tools, and jewelry made from copper and stone at the burial sites. Because they buried objects with the dead, scientists believe the Woodland people believed in an afterlife.

Mississippians 800 C.E. - 1600 C.E.

The Mississippian Period lasted from 800 CE to 1600 CE. These were the Native Americans who lived in Georgia when the European Explorers arrived.

The Mississippians lived near rivers. They made house that were rectagular and made of trees and cane. The roofs were made with clay, daub, and thatch. Small villages had 100 people, but some villages grew to the thousands. Most villages had a main meeting place for religious ceremonies and had a palisade (wall) to keep enemies out. The Mississippians had chiefs who lived in the largest houses, and farmers lived in smaller houses.

The Mississippians buitl large flat-topped mounds. One mound was 100 feet high. The mounds were the base of chief's houses, and they were used for ceremonies and burials. The Etowah Indian Mounds were and example of the mounds.

The Mississippians were greate at growing crops, and they grew corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins. They hunted small game like deer, rabbits, and squirrels. The Mississippians used the bow and arrow as a weapon, but they, also, had stone axes. The Mississippians used tools like blades, digging sticks, and bone hoes.

The Mississippians developed their own fashion, and they often wore jewelry, colorful outfits, and tattoos.