Indian Eskimos

Ohio History

First Indians

The Fort Ancient Museum traced the history of Native Americans through a series of life-size dioramas. This scene depicts the people believed to be the original ancestors of Native Americans. They may have migrated from Asia, down through Canada, to settle in present-day Ohio. Their rich furs and strong stone dwelling would have been very important for survival during this journey. These immigrants would have become the Early Woodland Indians (around 800 B.C.), the earliest people described in the museum; they included hunters and gatherers, as well as the Adena who built small mounds. The Middle Woodland/Hopewell Indians followed them, building more complex earthworks and using pottery and flint. In A.D. 500, they become the Late Woodland Indians, utilizing crops and the bow and arrow for food. A.D. 900-1600 is labeled with the Prehistoric Indians; last of all are the Historic Indians from 1700 to the present. We will see both of these groups next.