7th Millennium BCE in North American History

The 7th millennium BCE in North American history provides a timeline of events occurring within the North American continent from 7000 BCE through 6001 BCE in the Gregorian calendar. Although this timeline segment may include some European or other world events that profoundly influenced later American life, it focuses on developments within Native American communities. The archaeological records supplements indigenous recorded and oral history.

Because of the inaccuracies inherent in radiocarbon dating and in interpreting other elements of the archaeological record, most dates in this timeline represent approximations that may vary a century or more from source to source. The assumptions implicit in archaeological dating methods also may yield a general bias in the dating in this timeline.

• 7000 BCE: Northeastern peoples depend increasingly on deer, nuts, and wild grains as the climate warms.

• 7000 BCE: Native Americans in Lahontan Basin, Nevada mummify their dead to give them honor and respect, evidencing deep concern about their treatment and condition.

• 6500 BCE–200 CE: The San Dieguito-Pinto tradition and Chihuahua Tradition flourish in southern California, the Southwest, and northwestern Mexico.

• 6001 BCE: Ancestors of Penutian-speaking peoples settle in the Northwestern Plateau.

• 6001 BCE: Nomadic hunting bands roam Subarctic Alaska following herds of caribou and other game animals.

• 6001 BCE: Aleuts begin to arrive in the Aleutian Islands.