Instructions
Read the timeline below about the very first cities in the Americas. For a long time, historians thought the story of civilization in the Americas began around 3,500 BCE. But amazing new discoveries have shown us that people were building big communities much, much earlier! Use the clues in the sentences to fill in the missing words on the timeline.
A Timeline of the Ancient Americas
| Date | What Happened? |
| ~11,000 BCE | Sumerian civilization emerges in the Middle East. For a long time, this part of the world was thought to be the only place with very early cities. |
| A Long, Long Time Ago... | A Secret History! Everything we've learned about the events before 3,500 BCE in the Americas is very new. Archaeologists are still digging and discovering just how old these civilizations really are! |
| ~3,500-3,000 BCE | This is when we used to think civilization developed in the "New World." We now know the story is much older. |
| ~3,000 BCE | In the desert region of coastal Peru, people of the Norte Chico civilization begin to build large communities with huge earthen mounds that look like pyramids . |
| ~2,600 BCE | The great city of Caral is built in Peru. It becomes one of the biggest cities in the Norte Chico civilization, with giant plazas and temples. |
| Life in Norte Chico | Instead of making pottery, the people were experts at growing cotton , which they used to make strong fishing nets and clothes. They traded these nets with people on the coast for fish and seashells. |
| A Big Difference | Unlike other ancient civilizations, archaeologists have found no evidence of warfare at Norte Chico sites. The cities were not built with defensive walls. |
Think About It!
Why is it important that we keep looking for new evidence about the past? How did the discovery of the Norte Chico civilization change history?
Answer Key
- pyramids
- Caral
- cotton
- warfare