They were nomadic hunters and gatherers who followed herds of now-extinct animals, such as mammoths and giant sloths.
As the climate warmed and the ice age ended, these early Americans moved further south into the Rocky Mountains and Sierras, where they developed a variety of cultures and ways of life.
Some of the earliest known Paleo-Indian sites in the Rocky Mountains and Sierras include the Folsom site in New Mexico, the Lindenmeier site in Colorado, and the Paisley Caves in Oregon. These sites have yielded evidence of human habitation, such as stone tools, projectile points, and animal bones.
Over time, the Paleo-Indians diversified into different groups, each with its own distinct language, culture, and way of life. Some of these groups included the Apache, Navajo, Sioux, Shoshone, and Ute tribes. These tribes developed complex societies and cultures, and they played an important role in the history of the American West.
