The timeline of humans living in North America is the subject of much debate among archeologists, historians and Indian traditions. While there is evidence that can be used to create a timeline there are outliers in the data which increase the length of time possible for humans to have been in North America. Some of the evidence dates the presence of humans in North America up to 12,000 years ago unfortunately there are some estimates that push that time back to 40,000 years.
As well as the length of time that the Indians have been in North America their origins are also a matter of speculation. Some of the theories include the American Indians being members from one of the lost tribes of Israel, descendents from a Welsh prince or descended from the early voyages from the Middle East or Japan. These theories have the disadvantage of discrediting the Indians claim that they have always been in North America. Without that they become colonists to America that have as much or as little right to the land as the European colonists arriving later had. As settlers they had the right to be displaced by other powers and their rights to their own lands insufficient reason to allow them to stay.
Archeologists have conclusively dated the presence of humans living in Chile as of 12,500 years ago. This date was discovered through the carbon dating of tools made of bone and stone. These tools are more then 1,000 years older then the Clovis points found in North America. Through this evidence it can be suggested that if the Native Americans who created the Clovis artifacts were the descendents of the civilization residing in Chile, they would have to have migrated very quickly across North America to be as spread out and numerous as the Native Americans were. The data could also suggest that the earliest individuals in America might have arrived from a different entrance point such as the sea or an even earlier time which could be up to 20,000 years ago.
The theory that has the best scientific backing suggests that the Indians crossed a land bridge from Asia across the Bering Strait. This theory is supported with both genetic and linguistic evidence. This migration would have occurred during the last Ice Age because the levels of the ocean were significantly lower causing the land bridge to be exposed and able to transverse. The explanation for why this migration could have been occurred is that as the game that this civilization existed on crossed the bridge in search of more grazing land. As the animals moved across the bridge the nomadic hunters followed them to continue their access to the supply of food. As the game migrated across North America the hunter/gather society migrated as well. While there scientific evidence to support this claim it is difficult to tell in which direction the migration occurred. The Indian belief in this theory is that there must have been some Indians who migrated from North America to Asia as the true explanation for the similarities in genetics and linguistics.
The field of archeology depends on what evidence has currently been discovered and as more evidence of the past is found then better theories of when the Indians reached North America can be determined. Currently the data includes stone tools, some settlements and the occasional skeleton that has withstood the damages of time. Unfortunately it is not enough information to refute the Indian’s belief that they have always been present in North America.
The availability of archeological evidence in specific geographic locations depends on what the Indians were using as their main food source and how it was being collected. Tribes that were reliant upon hunting would lose arrow heads which could be found in digs in the Great Plains and other areas where hunting was prevalent. The tribes that relied upon fishing if they had lost a harpoon or other fishing implement it would have been in the river or the ocean and be less likely to be found over the centuries. Some of the tribes relied on a mixture of hunting and farming. These tribes would have left a more permanent mark on the historical fabric because they would be less nomadic then those tribes who followed the fish or the game. These people would increase the archeological evidence due to the sedentary nature of their lives.
One of the cultures in North America that used a mixture of hunting and farming was the Adena culture that had its base in the Ohio alley. This civilization utilized the building of mounds to celebrate and remember their dead. While this civilization existed over 2000 years ago the Hopewellian culture resulted from theirs and increased the practice of the burial mounds and earthen architecture. This culture created an extensive network of trade which included grisly bear teeth from the Rockies and silver from Ontario. Through this network their culture expanded over North America. This civilization eventually went into decline and the remnants either died out or merged with another civilization the burial mounds that were a cornerstone of their society can be found in archeological digs across North America.
With the increase in evidence available to the archeologists several theories over where and when the Indians appeared can be substantiated. However there is no conclusive proof because archeology is a consistently evolving field of research which changes depending on what information has been found at the time the theory was established. These theories can be changed as additional archeological digs occur adding to the knowledge base. The migration across the Bering Strait is believed to be the most accurate because of the amount of scientific evidence but I agree with the Indians that it is very difficult to determine in which direction the migration occurred without additional information.