Paleo-Indians, The First Inhabitants

Paleo-Indians, nomadic hunter and gatherers from Asia, were the first people to arrive in the Mississippi River Valley around 12,000 years ago. Small hunting and gathering bands ranged over large territories in the Midwest, camping briefly while hunting or collecting wild foods. Distinctive spear points, known as Clovis points, found scattered parts of the valley, demonstrate Paleo-Indian presence. Sites like Kimmswick Missouri where Clovis points and other stone tools have been found with the remains of the extinct American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) provide a glimpse of their economy.