| In many parts of the United States, archaeologists | | | | vanished ages. In Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and other |
| have found relics of people who lived thousands of | | | | parts of the Midwest, and as far south as Alabama, |
| years before Columbus discovered America. In fact, | | | | there are relics of the mound builders about whom |
| these relics have helped other scholars to decide | | | | there is a separate article in this encyclopedia. |
| when the people we call "American Indians" first came | | | | The Mound Builders built great mounds of earth and |
| to the continent of North America from Asia, where | | | | stone, and used them for houses, and for churches, |
| their original home was, perhaps as many as fifty | | | | and for burial places for their dead. The "cliff dwellers" |
| thousand years ago. In many parts of the United | | | | of the American Southwest left their "apartment |
| States, archaeologists have found relics of people who | | | | houses" on the sides of cliffs in such good condition |
| lived thousands of years before Columbus discovered | | | | that you can walk into them and see how people lived |
| America. In fact, these relics have helped other | | | | three thousand years ago. The mayans and aztecs in |
| scholars to decide when the people we call "American | | | | Centtal America, and the incas and other prehistoric |
| Indians" first came to the continent of North America | | | | men who came long before them in Peru and other |
| from Asia, where their original home was, perhaps as | | | | parts of South America, are other ancient men of the |
| many as fifty thousand years ago. Wherever you go | | | | Western Hemisphere about whom there are separate |
| in the United States, you will be near the ancient | | | | articles. |
| dwelling places of some of these peoples of the | | | | |