When most people think of "ancient American civilizations," the Aztec, Maya, or Inca cultures probably come to mind immediately, because the societies in Mesoamerica and South America left behind permanent structures for millions of visitors from around the world to see each year. But in fact, there were people inhabiting the region over 11,000 years earlier.
The discovery of distinct arrow tips throughout the United States, Canada, and parts of northern Mexico in the early 20th century, often referred to by archaeologists as projectile points, is a testament to the success of the Paleolithic culture, now known as Clovis. Modern scholars point to the extensive nature of Clovis archaeological sites as proof of its importance, yet these same scholars have only begun to uncover this culture, and as they do, more questions are raised than there are answers. Although most of the questions are not controversial, some of the answers scholars have forwarded are.
Any examination of the Clovis culture begins with what is known. Archaeologists know the approximate chronological and geographic range of the Clovis culture, and they can identify what made the Clovis people unique. These were the projectile points the Clovis people made, setting them apart from most people that came before and after them, and it was those same tools that made them a successful people for such an extended period in the harsh climate of the Upper Paleolithic era (50,000 to 12,000 years ago). Scholars have also determined that the Clovis people were big game hunters, chasing and killing mammoths and other now-extinct animals across North America. The picture that has emerged of the Clovis people is one of an industrious, resourceful, and prolific people who became masters of the environment and North America for approximately 2,000 years. That being said, there is also much that is not known about the Clovis culture.
Academically speaking, there is probably more that is not known about the Clovis people than what is known. For example, the Clovis people's religious ideas, particularly about their views on an afterlife, remain a mystery. The lack of art at Clovis sites has also raised more questions, including if it was the result of a dearth of materials or societal norms and taboos, but perhaps the most hotly debated question surrounding the Clovis culture is its origins. It was once believed the Clovis people were the first to inhabit the Americas, but new evidence appears to suggest they were not. Studies have also questioned how the Clovis people arrived in North America, with the standard crossing of the Ice Age land bridge in Beringia being questioned in favor of other migration theories. An examination of the Clovis culture reveals just how important these Paleolithic people were to the history of North America, and although many questions remain, perhaps steps can be made toward answering a few of them.
In North America, from about 1000-1500 CE, an equally complex culture formed along the banks of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers. From Red Wing, Minnesota to Greenhouse, Louisiana, and from Spiro, Oklahoma to Macon, Georgia, societies built impressive mound structures that served as ritual platforms, burial sites, and residences for the elites. These mounds also served as the focal points of urban areas of varying sizes that were connected to each other through trade and ideology, forming a culture that modern historians have since designated the "Mississippian culture."
Given Europe's familiarity with the Mesoamerican civilizations and lack of knowledge about North America, when white settlers first came upon the giant mounds and earthworks dotting the North American landscape in the 17th and 18th centuries, they couldn't imagine that the local natives were capable of such advanced technology and masterful engineering.
