Winters were cold and food was sometimes scarce 11,000 years ago, but our ancestors skillfully met the challenges of daily life.

After the retreat of the glacier, the land was rocky, barren, and in some places frozen throughout the year. Yet as the climate continued to warm, plants colonized the bare earth, and animals followed. An astonishing array of large mammals inhabited parts of this continent for the next few thousand years, including the mastodon, saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, short-faced bear, and giant beaver—a beaver the size of a today’s black bear.

By 11,000 years ago, our ancestors, too, made southern New England their home. The region looked very different from today—spruce and larch trees were abundant, and caribou migrated across the land.

Our ancestors moved often from place to place, traveling hundreds of miles throughout the year in pursuit of food and other resources. Accomplished hunters and foragers, they ate large and small mammals, wild plants, fish, and shellfish. At times the travel was strenuous and life difficult, but not every moment was a struggle for survival. From the resources at hand, the people obtained their food, clothing, tools, and anything else they needed.