Prehistory of Ohio
Once upon a time, a very, very long time ago, Ohio didn't look anything like it does now. There were no cities or highways. There weren't even any people! This time is called prehistory, because it's way before people started writing things down.
But just because people didn't write things down doesn't mean that we don't know anything about prehistory. Scientists have studied fossils and artifacts (old things that people left behind) and used their knowledge to figure out what Ohio was like in prehistoric times.
Before it was Ohio, this area was covered in water. That might be hard to imagine, but it's true! Millions and millions of years ago, the land that would become Ohio was under a big, shallow sea. Slowly, the sea receded (moved back) and land appeared in its place.
The first people to live in what is now Ohio arrived around 12,000 B.C. These ancient people were called Paleo-Indians. They were hunters and gatherers, which means they didn't have farms or grocery stores. They had to find all their food in nature. They hunted animals like mammoths and bison and gathered berries, nuts, and other plants to eat.
As time went on, different groups of people came to Ohio. One of the most famous groups were the Hopewell people. They lived in Ohio from around 200 B.C. to A.D. 500. The Hopewell people built huge earthworks, which were earthen mounds that formed shapes like circles and squares. No one is completely sure why they built these mounds, but they may have been used for ceremonies, burial sites, or even as stages for plays!
Eventually, the Native American tribes that we know today, like the Shawnee, Miami, and Iroquois, came to Ohio. They hunted, fished, farmed, and built their own earthworks, too. They had intricate cultures and passed down stories and traditions from generation to generation.
Finally, in 1783, Ohio became part of the United States after the American Revolution. But before it was a state, it was a land full of wildlife and people with long and fascinating histories. We can still learn so much from its prehistory today!
But just because people didn't write things down doesn't mean that we don't know anything about prehistory. Scientists have studied fossils and artifacts (old things that people left behind) and used their knowledge to figure out what Ohio was like in prehistoric times.
Before it was Ohio, this area was covered in water. That might be hard to imagine, but it's true! Millions and millions of years ago, the land that would become Ohio was under a big, shallow sea. Slowly, the sea receded (moved back) and land appeared in its place.
The first people to live in what is now Ohio arrived around 12,000 B.C. These ancient people were called Paleo-Indians. They were hunters and gatherers, which means they didn't have farms or grocery stores. They had to find all their food in nature. They hunted animals like mammoths and bison and gathered berries, nuts, and other plants to eat.
As time went on, different groups of people came to Ohio. One of the most famous groups were the Hopewell people. They lived in Ohio from around 200 B.C. to A.D. 500. The Hopewell people built huge earthworks, which were earthen mounds that formed shapes like circles and squares. No one is completely sure why they built these mounds, but they may have been used for ceremonies, burial sites, or even as stages for plays!
Eventually, the Native American tribes that we know today, like the Shawnee, Miami, and Iroquois, came to Ohio. They hunted, fished, farmed, and built their own earthworks, too. They had intricate cultures and passed down stories and traditions from generation to generation.
Finally, in 1783, Ohio became part of the United States after the American Revolution. But before it was a state, it was a land full of wildlife and people with long and fascinating histories. We can still learn so much from its prehistory today!