How do you think tourism began?
By the time the newcomers from the east arrived he had developed a commerce similar to what the newcomers had in the old world.
Man of the Americas had money, and his numbers or math was not to unlike those of the east. He had developed a calendar that in it's time was more accurate.
While there are lacking pages in the history books, and we can not tell when man started his trading, we do find the results of his travels and exchange of his most valuable product. His intelligence.
In the shelters of west Texas, the recovery of hunting points types, not considered local, was common. These samples of a craft, from the other areas, help us understand the changes taking place at the site. It would seem the saying "better mouse trap", applied with early man as well.
Some clear evidence can be documented along the northern coast of
Florida facing the Gulf Of Mexico. By the time the late Archaic era
had arrived, man had established at least two large population areas.
The lower Mississippi river had begun to have mound builders and
the use of clay was a major part of their daily lives. Note: Please read the paper on clay balls in the clay display.
Along the east coast, From the Carolinas south to Florida man had
begun a era of increased habitation. Todays archaeologist would
recover small amounts of clay cooking objects that resembled
those used to the west. These were decorated in manner that
can only suggest that the craft and it's use had travelled this
great distance.
In time man of the east coast would take this idea of clay use and
progress it into pottery. Now archaeologist have recovered this early
method of pottery at sites to the west. Again the technology and
decoration are so similar as to leave little doubt that the craft
of pottery making had travelled east to west.
To add support to this claim of contact between these two large
population areas we turn to the Florida gulf coast and several sites
along it's beaches. Travel east to west or reverse would have
been slow and difficult for early man, if not for the sand highway.
To travel the great distance at that time, man would be compelled
to stop often to rest and regain his strength. Thus the coast sites.
These sites were not part of the normal occupation of the area by
early man. This was taking place a few miles to the north along
the bays and bayous. At times only a few miles separated the
traveller and the residents of the bays. But this distance was
vast when you consider the dense vegetation between the two areas.
To the archaeologist the beach sites would yield artifacts
considerably different from those in common use around the
bays. Within the beach sites clay use of the west was recovered with early pottery of the east. Stone vessels of steatite and point not unlike those from Texas were common.
It was also very clear these beach sites were not permanent
habitation sites. Their best description using today terms would
be "rest areas".
Back to theFAQ page?