California Early History

First Early Inhabitants of California

Early history examines the archaeological record that tells the story of the first inhabitants of California. Learn about the history and culture of the first inhabitants, and what lessons it might teach us about the early history of California.

California First Early Inhabitants

• 25,000- 10,000 BP - Peoples of north-east Asia followed herds of Caribou, bison, and mammoth across the present day Bering Strait. Then moved south along ice-free corridors into the American continents.
• 13,000 BP - Date of Arlington Springs Woman, found on the islands in recent digs.
• 12,500 BP - Santa Barbara Channel Islands were settled; fire-reddened earth from more than a hundred fire sites date from this period.
• 10,000 BP - Local population of dwarf mammoth went extinct; teeth found charred by fire.
• 9,000 BP - In 1914, the remains of a young woman were uncovered at the Rancho La Brea tar pits, the only prehistoric human remains found at the site. Her skull and partial skeleton is preserved in The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Also the likely date of Los Angeles Man, excavated in 1936. The mineralized cranium of his skull was discovered in the Ballona Creek in West Los Angeles (cf. Altschul et al., 1992).
• 8,000 BP - Settlement of the Southern California Coast by Chumash. A village in Glen Annie carbondated to 7,300 BP.
• 5,000 BP - Settled villages near estuaries, with large middens.
• 2,000 BP - Very large coastal villages; fewer people in the interior and on the islands. Evidence of alliances and warfare.
• 200-500 AD - Continental drought provokes wide-ranging migrations. The Tongva, or Gabrielinos, who speak Shoson, a Uto-Aztec language, come down from the Mojave and settle in the Los Angeles basin, displacing the Hokan speakers, relatives of the Chumash.
• 458 - Chineses records speak of the explorer Hui Shan, who in 458 A.D. sailed the Pacific and may have reached the coast of California. Hui Shan noted tall trees with a red wood.

California’s earliest inhabitants were Asians who traveled the Bering Strait into North America using a now-vanished land bridge. More than 10,000 years ago, they settled throughout the region’s diverse geographic areas and climates. Deserts and high mountains helped to separate these groups, and they lived peacefully in relative isolation from one another. Over many years, distinctive differences in lifestyle and culture developed among these groups, which included the Hupa, the Maidu, the Pomo, the Modic, and the Mohave tribes. More than 135 language dialects emerged.

Due to a rather dry growing season, these tribes did not develop agricultural societies. Instead, they became very skillful gatherers of native roots, nuts and berries. They also fished in the plentiful lakes and streams. Because of an absence of warfare, a favorable climate, and a plentiful food supply, these cultures flourished.

When Europeans entered the California region in the 16th century, they encountered a population of more than 300,000 Native Americans.