Scientists think that the first people moved to North America about years ago. They think that during the , people traveled across a land bridge that connected Asia and Alaska. We call this land bridge .
Scientists learn about the distant past from they dig up from the ground. By studying the bones of a mastodon found in Ohio, they think that the first Ohioans and shared food.
Scientists also learn from , objects that people used long ago. Scientists who study old artifacts are called . Artifacts are important because early people did not write down their .
About years ago, people first came to the place we now call Ohio. They moved from place to place in search of food. They traveled in , or groups, of 25 to 50 people. They hunted animals using simple tools, and they gathered and ate fruits, nuts, and other .
When the Ice Age ended, life changed for these early people. Big animals died off, so hunters caught instead. They settled in villages with as many as people. To help them get by when was hard to find, they stored food in pots and baskets. They smoked and dried to keep it from spoiling.
In some very old villages, archaeologists have found materials that came from places. This means that the ancient Ohioans traded with other groups. They probably learned new skills from their trading partners, too.
