How did ancient peoples of the Americas adapt to, and adapt, their environment?

Ancient societies of the Americas shared many characteristics that were common to other premodern societies around the world that stretched from the Pacific Rim to the Mediterranean. But many elements were also unique to the ancient peoples of the Americas, and we must consider these on their own terms. Since societies of the Americas developed in isolation, their history offers a counterpoint to premodern histories of other parts of the world. Like people everywhere, civilizations of the Americas interpreted the meaning of the world and their place in the cosmos. They organized societies stratified not just by gender, class, and ethnicity but also by professional roles and wealth, and they adapted to and reshaped their physical and natural world. But they did all this on their own, without outside influences and within a distinct environment.

If the differences between civilizations in the Americas and other world regions are remarkable, the similarities are even more so. By studying the peoples of the Americas before their encounters with other world societies, we gain a clearer view of universal aspects of the human experience.