An Aboriginal Presence

Our Origins

Archaeology - At the Edge of the Ice

Late Postglacial: 1,000 years ago - A thousand years ago, North America looked very much as it does today. The land around Hudson Bay, however, continues to rise as it recovers from the weight of the glacier. Coastlines dating to 1,000 years ago are now dozens of kilometres inland.

By 1,000 years ago, only the tops of the highest mountains and a few of the coldest, most isolated Arctic Islands remained unoccupied by First Peoples. Indeed, more of North America's land mass was in use then, than now.

Areas on the map without dots indicate either a lack of archaeological research, or the absence of suitable material for radiocarbon dating.

 Land   Ice   Water
 Dated archaeological site

Northern North America, Late Postglacial, 1,000 years ago
Courtesy of Richard Morlan, Canadian Museum of Civilization

Beringia

Full Glacial: 18,000 years ago

Late Glacial: 11,000 years ago

Early Postglacial: 8,000 years ago

Middle Postglacial: 5,000 years ago

Late Postglacial: 1,000 years ago