Beringia Vocabulary 1) artifact--an object made by humans, such as a tool The term Beringia refers to the 1,000-mile long landmass th2a) t acrocnhnaecotloegdy A--sthiae astnudd yN oofr thhis Atomrice raicnad 1pr0e,h0i0s0to-r2ic5 ,000 years ago. Duringp tehoisp lteime, glaciers up to two miles thick covered large parts of North America, Europe and Asia. T3h)e ppaelerioondt owloagsy -c-athllee dst uthdey Pofl eeiasrtloyc leifen eb yIc loeo Akigneg. aSt ome very dry areas weforess iiclse-free during this time. Much of the Earth's water was locked up in the glaciers. Because of th4i)s psereah ilsetvoerilc d--rao pppeeridod s oigfn timficea bnetlfyo, ruep w troit t3e0n0 o fre et! Some areas that are now urencdoerrd weda theisr tboerycame dry land. The result was an intermittent land bridge stretching between 5) fossil--the remains, impression, imprint or bone of the two cao nlivtiinge nthtsin ugnder the present day Bering and Chukchi Seas. Scientists believe that Beringia was at its w6id) e esxtt ipnoctin--ta a sbpoeuctie 1s5 t,h0a0t 0h ayse adriesd a oguot., Anolt hloonuggehr icna lled a "bridge," the leaxnisdt ewnacse really a broad, grassy plain, which many animals stopped to feed on. 7) Pleistocene-- 2 million to 10,000 years ago Beringia The term Beringia refers to the 1,000-mile long landmass 1t0h,a0t0 c0o tnon 2e5c,t0e0d0 A yseiar asn adg No,o drtuhr inAgm teheri cpae r1io0d,0 k0n0o-w2n5 ,a0s0 0th e Pyleeaisrtso caegnoe. IDceu rAingge ,t hgilsa ctiiemrse ,u gpl atoc itewros mupile tso tthwicok mcoilveesr ethdi clakr ge pcaorvtse oref dN olartrhg eA mpaerrtisc ao, fE Nuorortphe ,A amned rAicsaia, Eaundro mpeu cahn odf Athseia e.a rth's wTahter pwearsio ldo cwkaeds ucpa lilne dth teh eg laPcleieirsst.o Tcheen es eIcae le Avegle d. rSopopmeed svigenryif icdaryn talyr e- ausp wtoe 3re0 0ic fee-efrt e- ea nddu rsinogm eth aisr etiams eth. aMt uacreh noof wth uen der water became dry land. The result was a land bridge connecting Earth's water was locked up in the glaciers. Because of the continents of Asia and North America in the present day Btheirsin sge Sat rlaeivt ealr edaro apnpde edx steignndiifnicga intoly ,t huep B toe r3in0g0 a fnede tC! hSuokmchei saeraesa. s that are now under water became dry land. The result was an intermittent land bridge stretching between Tthe btwridog ceo fnotrimneendt sa uflantd, egrr athssey p trreseelensts d palayi nB beeritnwge eann dtw o cConhtuinkecnhtis S setraestc. hSincgie onnties ttsh obueslaienvde m thileast Bfreomrin ngoiart hw taos s aotu tiths. widest point about 15,000 years ago. Although called a "bridge," the land was really a broad, grassy plain, which many animals stopped to feed on. Early Occupants With the emergence of the land bridge, early migration of animals and humans could have been made completely by land instead of water.

Scientists are not positively sure how long ago the migration took place, but they believe between 10,000 and 25,000 years ago. This slow migration over thousands of years is what is believed to be responsible for the population of plants, animals and people to North and South America. Map "As one of the world's great ancient of B crossroads, Beringia may hold solutions to eri puzzles about who were the first people to ngia populate North America, how and when they traveled, and how they survived under such harsh climatic conditions." Beringia The term Beringia refers to the 1,000-mile long landmass that connected Asia and North America 10,000-25,000 years ago. During this time, glaciers up to two miles thick covered large parts of North America, Europe and Asia. The period was called the Pleistocene Ice Age. Some vTerhy edr ym ariegarsa wtieoren i cteo-f ree during this time. Much of the ENarothr'sth w aatenrd w aSs oloucktehd up in the glaciers. Because of this sea level dropped significantly, up to 300 feet! Some aAremase thraict aare now under water became dry land. The result was an intermittent land bridge stretching between the two continents under the present day Bering and Chukchi Seas. Scientists believe that Beringia was at its widest point about 15,000 years ago. Although called a "bridge," the land was really a broad, grassy plain, which many animals stopped to feed on. Animals such as wolves, bears, lions, woolly mammoths, bison, caribou, horses and antelope wandered and fed on the plain. Hunting groups followed game animals through the ice-free lowland areas not realizing they crossed over to a new continent. Without the presence of the land bridge these areas may not have been inhabited until much later. Over time, the massive ice sheets melted slowly raising water levels, covering up the shallow ocean floor. Evidence of the Existence of the Land Bridge What evidence exists?

Example 1: Similarities between the peoples of Siberia and Alaska --similar language --shared spiritual practices --similar hunting tools --methods of food preservation Archaeological Sites Evidence of the Existence of the Land Bridge

Evidence #2: Similarities of some plant species in Siberia and Alaska in the vicinity of the land bridge. Because of the large numbers of similar species, scientists hypothesize that the seeds of these plants could not have been disbursed by the wind and birds alone.

Evidence #3: Fossil evidence that large land animals like the woolly mammoth, could not have simply swam across the Bering Sea. The distance is too long for most land mammals. A land bridge had to be in existence in order for so many of the same species to be present in such large numbers on both continents.

Short-Faced Bear Jefferson's Ground Sloth Jefferson's Ground Sloth The Land Bridge Today Today, the continents of Asia and North America are separated at their closest points, by a 55-mile stretch of water called the Bering Strait. The Bering Strait connects the Bering Sea to the south with the Chukchi Sea to the north. The Land Bridge Today Today, the continents of Asia and North America are separated at their closest points, by a 55-mile stretch of water called the Bering Strait. The Bering Strait connects the Bering Sea to the south with the Chukchi Sea to the north. Resources:

http://www.nps.gov/akso/beringia/beringia/index.cfm http://www.beringia.com/index.html