1. Ancient America, Before 1492

Quiz for Making Historical Arguments: Who were the First Americans?

Select the best answer for each question. Click the “submit” button for each question to turn in your work.

1. What evidence have archaeologists found to suggest that Paleo-Indians inhabited the Western Hemisphere?

Spear tips that could only have been crafted by humans

Hundreds of human skeletal remains

Evidence of animal flesh cooked over a fire

Glass beads that were created with tools

2. What are Clovis points?

Small boats used by Paleo-Indians to cross the Pacific Ocean

Stone spear tips used by Paleo-Indians for killing animals

Thin land bridges between Siberian islands around 15,000 years ago

Campsites inhabited by Paleo-Indians in the Western Hemisphere

3. Most experts believe it is more likely that pre-Clovis people came from Siberia rather than from Australia or Antarctica because

the geographic distribution of pre-Clovis sites suggests that people arrived from the north, not from the south.

traveling across the Beringian land bridge would have been far easier than sailing across the Pacific Ocean.

the tools found in pre-Clovis sites in the Americas are fairly similar to those found in Siberian archaeological sites.

animal remains found along the site of the Beringian land bridge suggest humans traveled across it during this era.

4. Why does genetic, linguistic, and dental evidence about the origins of the first Americans remain controversial?

It was produced by scholars who lacked sufficient training in DNA analysis.

There is no existing archaeological evidence to validate its findings.

It relies on analyses of modern Native Americans living only in the western United States.

The genetic evidence contradicts the linguistic and dental evidence.

5. How can the study of modern Native Americans help experts figure out where the first Americans came from?

Modern Native Americans’ oral tradition might reveal where the first Americans came from.

Some modern Native Americans still possess ancient tools crafted by their ancestors, which experts can study to learn about the first Americans.

Many experts believe that the language and DNA of modern Native Americans contains clues about the identity of the first Americans.

An analysis of modern Native Americans’ hair color, texture, and thickness can help experts figure out where the first Americans came from.