Topography and climate    The plains to the west, the Appalachians to the east, bisected by a Mississippi swollen with glacial meltwater. To the north lay the Great Lakes, bordered by retreating glaciers that had left their mark on the hills and plains in what is now Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Ice gripped upper Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Winters were cold, summers warm but short. Environments could shift dramatically over a short distance, with tundra quickly giving way to forest. After 11,500 years ago, the weather slowly shifted to today’s conditions, interrupted by a frigid, dry regime between 10,900 and 10,100 years ago.

When the first people arrived    Evidence suggests sometime around 13,500 years ago.

Likely routes to the region    Through northwest tundra or traversing the western prairies. next >>

How people lived    As today, the ancient Midwest was a crossroads, suggested by the many kinds of projectile points found, possibly evidence of intersecting cultures. Travelers from the Southwest may have brought their skill in hunting on the prairie. The first inhabitants launched the Midwest’s first economy—trading in raw materials like chert and game such as caribou and deer.

Main challenge to survival    Environmental tumult.

Research milestone    Within their lifespans, some inhabitants witnessed catastrophic drops in the Great Lakes, transforming the land.

Promising research    Most artifacts have been collected by farmers plowing their fields. Collaboration between collectors and archeologists promises to broaden the picture of the era.
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