Chapter 1 Lesson 2 Early American Cultures

The Mound Builders

Great Serpent Mound in Ohio

Cahokia mounds near St. Louis, MO

Why did the Mound

Builders build mounds?

The Mound Builders built earth mounds called earthworks. Some mounds were used as graves.

Other mounds were used as platforms for ceremonies, temples and palaces. Some mounds were simply religious symbols.

Archaeologists study artifacts from the mounds. These

artifacts tell us…

2. Trade was important to

the builders. How can we know this?

1. The Mound Builders were well-organized. What tells us this?

The Anasazi

What do we know about the Anasazi people?The Anasazi lived in the Southwest in an area today called the “Four Corners.” Why is called that?

They sometimes carved homes into the sides of cliffs. Sometimes they built apartment-style buildings several stories high on the top of mesas. What is a mesa?

What enabled the Anasazi to grow crops in a dry region?

What may have caused the Anasazi to abandon their

villages?

The InuitLike the ancient peoples who crossed the land bridge over the Bering Strait during the Ice

Age, the Inuit also came to North America from Asia, but much later. When?

2500 years ago

Inuit reached Alaska from Asia

3000 years agoAmerican Indian groups began building mounds in eastern North America

2000 years agoThe Anasazi culture developed in the Southwest

Inuit Culture

What do you think Inuit people need to have and be good at to survive?

What do you think the Inuit people are not able to do on the frozen lands near the Arctic Ocean?

Group DiscussionCompare and contrast the cultures of the Mound Builders, Anasazi, and the Inuit.