Prehistoric Change on the Tennessee River

Prehistoric Change on the Tennessee River. . Change is inevitable, but how you adapt helps determine your success or failure., As the Ice Age melted away and the Archaic Period (8000 BCE-1000 BCE) began, large animals, such as the elephant-like mastodon, disappeared, forcing the people on Moccasin Bend to change. These hunters and gatherers adapted their lifestyle to reflect one of abundance with the environment, their evolving settlements ranging from permanent base camps to more temporary ones., Change also took the form of invention. Adapting their hunting practices for smaller animals, it is likely the Archaic people invented the atlatl. This short-shafted tool, with a hook at one end, was inserted in the end of a spear, thus serving as a lever and providing for increased distance and force., People are not alone in experiencing change. Directly before you rises one of Moccasin Bend's prehistoric riverbanks. The distance between it and the current river shows us just how much has changed in a few thousand years. As these Archaic people adapted, they hunted, gathered, and built their camps on this ancient bank along the Tennessee River., In the spirit of those who came before and the changes they experienced, how do you adapt to your circumstances and surroundings today? , Photo caption: (Left, bottom) This panting shows a prehistoric base camp with women processing hickory nuts in the foreground. In addition to plant foods, Archaic Indians supplemented their food with such animals as white-tail deer, turkeys, rabbits, and even bear. , (RIght, middle) A prehistoric hunter uses the spear thrower, better known as the atlatl.