WW9 / Atlas index / Old roads of the landOld roads of the land What our people carried and traded. 101 points on the WW9 Atlas, oldest first, each with its source.
Open this layer on the map Tobacco use 12,300 years ago (Wishbone site) -10300 Great Salt Lake Desert (local wild N. attenuata) → Wishbone site, Utah. c. 12,300 years ago. Proven by: Charred seeds in a radiocarbon-dated hearth (Duke et al. 2021, Nature Human Behaviour). Point, not route: deep-time tobacco knowledge in the north.https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2021/10/13/2003766045 Glacial Kame float copper -8000–-1000 Great Lakes float-copper deposits (source not stated) → Glacial Kame burials (Ridgeway type site, Hardin Co., Ohio). Archaic, c. 8000-1000 BCE (broad range). Proven by: Artifact type; no chemical source test cited on page. Source and exact date need deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_Kame_culture Glacial Kame marine shell -8000–-1000 Atlantic or Gulf coast (not stated) → Glacial Kame burials, Ohio/Michigan/Ontario/Indiana. Archaic. Proven by: Material type only. Shell is marine, so it traveled; which coast needs deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_Kame_culture Old Copper: native copper tools (points, knives, awls) -6500–-1500 Keweenaw Peninsula copper district (Lake Superior) → Old Copper sites, western Great Lakes (e.g., Oconto area, Wisconsin). c. 8,500-3,500 years ago. Proven by: Radiocarbon on wood/rope embedded in copper tools and on ancient mines (53 dates reviewed). Oldest reliable date about 8,500 yrs; many 8,000https://archaeology.org/issues/july-august-2021/digs-discoveries/digs-michigan-old-copper-culture/ Domesticated tobacco (N. rustica / N. tabacum) -6000–1500 Andes, South America → Across the Americas (e.g., Columbia Plateau pipes). domestication 6,000-8,000 years ago. Proven by: Botanical/genetic consensus summarized in Tushingham et al. 2018 (PNAS); pipe nicotine by mass spectrometry. Domestic tobacco's spread north needs deep research; Plateau pipes mhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6243282 Maize across South American lowlands -4500–-2000 Southwest Amazon → Atlantic coast lowlands, Brazil. wide by ~4,000 years ago. Proven by: Genomics + archaeobotany. Second eastward wave from Andean foothills c. 1,000 yrs ago.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181213141524.htm Maize to South America (SW Amazon) -4500 Balsas River valley, Mexico → Southwest Amazon (Rondônia/Bolivia). c. 6,500 years ago. Proven by: Ancient + modern maize genomes + pollen/phytoliths (Kistler et al. 2018, Science). Arrived half-domesticated; finished domestication in the Amazon.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181213141524.htm First island settlers (Archaic) to Cuba -4000 Central America (Belize/Yucatán coast) - proposed → Cuba. c. 6,000 years ago. Proven by: Ancient DNA (closer to Central/South Americans) + similar artifacts in Belize and Cuba. Origin unclear per Fernandes 2021; Belize link is a hint, not proof.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201223125751.htm Idaho obsidian to Xwe'etay -3000–1800 Timber Butte, Idaho → Xwe'etay (Lasqueti Island). undated. Proven by: Geochemical sourcing. https://www.sfu.ca/rem/lasqueti/archaeology/obsidian-and-ancient-trade-relations-on-xwe-etay.html Oregon obsidian to Xwe'etay (Lasqueti Is., BC) -3000–1800 Glass Buttes / Whitewater Ridge, Oregon → Xwe'etay (Lasqueti Island), Salish Sea. undated. Proven by: Geochemical source fingerprinting. 5 of 8 sourced pieces from Oregon; arrived as finished tools.https://www.sfu.ca/rem/lasqueti/archaeology/obsidian-and-ancient-trade-relations-on-xwe-etay.html Valdivia pottery from Jomon Japan -3000 Kyushu, Japan (Jomon) → Valdivia, coastal Ecuador. c. 3000 BCE. Proven by: Style comparison (Meggers, Evans & Estrada 1965). Older, simpler local pottery found in Ecuador/Colombia; style test failed to hold. Shows the land's own pottery invention.https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/anthropology/anthropologists-claim-pottery-shows-transpacific-pre-columbian Maize to the Southwest -2100–-1200 Balsas River valley, Mexico (maize origin) → Tucson Basin (Las Capas etc.), Arizona. c. 2100 BCE. Proven by: Radiocarbon on maize + irrigation canals. Earliest canals in the US Southwest.https://desert.com/early-ag-summary Ortoiroid seafarers up the island chain -2000–-400 Iere (Trinidad; Banwari Trace ~5500 BCE) → Boriken (Puerto Rico). from c. 2000 BCE. Proven by: Radiocarbon + stone/shell tool style. Angostura (PR) dated ~4000 BCE: the dates conflict, needs deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortoiroid_people Poverty Point gray Midwestern flint -1730–-1350 Midwest flint sources (Ohio/Indiana area) → Poverty Point, Louisiana. c. 1730-1350 BCE. Proven by: Material identification. Exotic stones reached from up to ~1,000 km (620 mi). Exact quarries need deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_Point_culture Poverty Point iron-ore plummets -1730–-1350 Hot Springs, Arkansas → Poverty Point, Louisiana. c. 1730-1350 BCE. Proven by: Material sourcing (summary). Net weights.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_Point_culture Poverty Point copper -1700–-1100 Lake Superior copper district (reported) → Poverty Point, Louisiana. c. 1700-1100 BCE. Proven by: LA-ICP-MS compositional analysis (Hill et al. 2016, J. Arch. Sci. Reports). Only the catalog record was reachable; the Lake Superior result needs deep research (read the full paper) before calling it Rehttps://eld.bl.uk/catalog/100112591362_0x000001 Poverty Point galena (Potosi) -1700–-1100 Potosi galena deposit, Missouri → Poverty Point, Louisiana. c. 1700-1100 BCE. Proven by: Trace-element analysis matched to source deposit. Poverty Point held MORE galena than sites near Potosi: directional trade, not simple fall-off.https://pages.vassar.edu/?p=2264 Poverty Point galena (Upper Mississippi) -1700–-1100 Upper Mississippi Valley galena district → Poverty Point, Louisiana. c. 1700-1100 BCE. Proven by: Trace-element analysis. Rivers: Mississippi, Ohio, Arkansas, Ouachita.https://pages.vassar.edu/?p=2264 Dentalium shell inland -1000–1 Waters off Vancouver Island (Nuu-chah-nulth) → Canadian Plateau. 1000-1 BCE. Proven by: Species identification (Antalis pretiosa). Common Plateau trade item by 1st c. CE.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentalium_shell Pre-contact Florida-Cuba / Caribbean canoe contact -1000–1500 South Florida (Calusa / Tequesta) → Cuba. pre-1513. Proven by: No direct chemical/DNA test found; 'mounting evidence' of island people in the Keys called 'not conclusive'. 90 miles of water; needs deep research (ceramic sourcing / aDNA in Keys sites would test it).https://keyshistory.org/histindians.html Saladoid / Ceramic Age crossing into the islands -1000–-500 Orinoco basin / coastal Venezuela → Iere (Trinidad). 2,500-3,000 years ago. Proven by: Ancient DNA of 263 people (Fernandes et al. 2021, Nature) + pottery. Arawak-related farmers and potters.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201223125751.htm Saladoid canoe jump to Boriken -800–-400 Iere / Lesser Antilles → Boriken (Puerto Rico). c. 2,500-3,000 years ago. Proven by: Ancient DNA + radiocarbon + pottery. Then spread west to Ayiti and beyond.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201223125751.htm Pachuca obsidian at Tikal -300–1000 Sierra de las Navajas (Pachuca), Hidalgo → Tikal, Petén. Late Preclassic - Early Postclassic. Proven by: Green obsidian (visual + source study); 1,200+ artifacts, 7 Mexican sources. Sourcing technique not stated in abstract.https://core-prod.cambridgecore.org/core/journals/latin-american-antiquity/article/mexican-obsidian-at-tikal-guatemala/9A25051F18142B3A442DA6F95A031207 Maize to the Mississippi Valley -170–60 Southwest / northern Mexico → Holding site, American Bottom, Illinois. 170 BCE - 60 CE. Proven by: AMS radiocarbon on maize. Earliest firm maize east of the Mississippi. Exact route Open.https://core-prod.cambridgecore.org/core/journals/american-antiquity/article/accelerator-mass-spectrometry-ams-dates-confirm-early-zea-mays-in-the-mississippi-river-valley/41F13491DE85B4EBAF25B569E5F0A238 Ecuadorian trade rafts north to Colombia -100–1532 Coastal Ecuador → Pacific Colombia (Tumaco). by c. 100 BCE. Proven by: Historical + archaeological summary. https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/45849 Ecuadorian trade rafts south to Chile -100–1532 Coastal Ecuador → Northern Chile coast. by c. 100 BCE. Proven by: Historical raft accounts + archaeology (summary in thesis). Routes 'from Chile to Colombia'.https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/45849 Hopewell copper (plates, earspools, celts) -100–400 Lake Superior copper district → Scioto Valley earthworks, Ohio (Mound City). c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: Copper source attribution (NPS synthesis of sourcing studies); about 800 miles one way. NPS: 'most copper ... came from in and around Lake Superior'. Some may be glacial float copper.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-copper.htm Hopewell copper, southern source -100–400 Southern Appalachian Mountains copper → Scioto Valley earthworks, Ohio (Mound City). c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: Copper source attribution (NPS); over 300 miles. Second copper source for Ohio Hopewell.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-copper.htm Knife River flint -100–400 Knife River quarries, North Dakota → Scioto Valley, Ohio (Mound City). c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: Distinctive translucent brown flint identified by material type. 'Almost 1,000 miles away'; mostly finished objects arrived (little debris).https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-knife-river-flint.htm Lightning whelk shell cups, beads, gorgets -100–400 Gulf Coast of Florida (west coast most likely; Tampa Bay region) → Scioto Valley earthworks, Ohio. c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: Species identification (Busycon sinistrum lives only in Gulf/Atlantic waters). Found with altars and important burials.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-seashells.htm Mica sheets and cutouts -100–400 Southern Appalachian mica (Spruce Pine area, NC) → Scioto Valley, Ohio. c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: Source attribution (NPS); exact sourcing test not given. NPS says 'likely' Appalachian.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-copper.htm Obsidian (Bear Gulch) in Ohio Hopewell -100–400 Bear Gulch, Idaho → Hopewell Mound Group, Ohio. c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: XRF chemical fingerprint. Largest Hopewell obsidian blade (17 in.) from Hopewell Mound Group.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-obsidian.htm Obsidian (Obsidian Cliff) in Ohio Hopewell -100–400 Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming → Mound City, Ohio. c. 2,000 years ago. Proven by: X-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical fingerprint matched to source. NPS: 'All the matches from Ohio obsidian artifacts can be traced back to the Yellowstone region.' ~1,500+ miles.https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-obsidian.htm Obsidian at Naples (Illinois Hopewell) -78–347 Western obsidian sources → Naples site, Illinois River. 78 BCE - 347 CE. Proven by: NAA/AAS composition + hydration (Hatch et al. 1990). Same study as Seip row.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-antiquity/article/hopewell-obsidian-studies-behavioral-implications-of-recent-sourcing-and-dating-research/0A02E7BA3BB8BAC40426E703CC2644E1 Obsidian at Seip (dated) -78–347 Yellowstone-region obsidian sources → Seip earthworks, Ohio. 78 BCE - 347 CE (hydration). Proven by: Neutron activation + atomic absorption (composition); obsidian hydration dating (Hatch et al. 1990). 34 specimens from Seip, Mound City, Hopewell and Naples sites. Abstract does not name sources; Yelhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-antiquity/article/hopewell-obsidian-studies-behavioral-implications-of-recent-sourcing-and-dating-research/0A02E7BA3BB8BAC40426E703CC2644E1 Gulf of California shell to Hohokam 1–1150 Gulf of California (Sea of Cortés) coast → Snaketown / Hohokam core, Arizona. c. 1-1150 CE. Proven by: Species identification of marine shell. Shell jewelry making peaked 950-1150 then declined.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohokam Jadeite in Boriken (Puerto Rico/Vieques) 1–600 Motagua, Guatemala (proposed) → Boriken (Puerto Rico / Vieques). Early Ceramic. Proven by: Reported by later studies; AMNH 2006 calls PR finds unverified. Needs deep research (Rodríguez Ramos / Harlow later work).https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/rare-jade-caribbean-discovery Natchez Trace 1–1830 Natchez, Mississippi → Nashville (Cumberland salt licks), Tennessee. ancient; Pharr Mounds ~2,000 yrs on route. Proven by: Mounds along route + historical use by Choctaw/Chickasaw. ~440 miles. Began as bison/deer trail improved by the people.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez_Trace Parrot remains from central Mexico to Hohokam 1–750 Central/West Mexico → Hohokam core, Arizona. Pioneer period. Proven by: Species identification. Exact origin needs deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohokam Guanín (gold-copper-silver alloy) 70–374 South American tumbaga zone (Isthmo-Colombian) → Boriken (Puerto Rico). PR sheets radiocarbon 70-374 CE. Proven by: 1498 royal assay + modern composition; radiocarbon. High copper = smelting, which the islands did not do: alloy came from the mainland. Exact workshop Open.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guan%C3%ADn Jadeite axes from Motagua to Wadadli 250–500 Motagua fault zone (south side), Guatemala → Wadadli (Antigua). c. 250-500 CE. Proven by: Petrography, SEM, XRD, electron microprobe (Harlow et al., AMNH). ~1,800 miles by sea; Saladoid trade.https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/rare-jade-caribbean-discovery Balsa sailing rafts, Ecuador to West Mexico (route) 600–1500 Coastal Ecuador (Manabí) → West Mexico coast. c. 700 CE onward. Proven by: Engineering model of historical raft designs: 10-30 t cargo, viable sailing (Dewan & Hosler 2008, J. Anthropological Research). Feasibility proven; no raft remains found in West Mexico yet.https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/45849 Ecuador metallurgy to West Mexico (technology) 600–800 Coastal Ecuador (Manabí) → West Mexico (Jalisco-Michoacán coast). c. 700 CE. Proven by: Technical/metallographic comparison of objects (Hosler 1986/1994). Skipped Central America in between: points to sea transfer.https://www.technologyreview.com/2008/06/23/34168/whatever-boats-they-float/ Maya sacbe Cobá-Yaxuna 600–900 Cobá → Yaxuna. Classic period. Proven by: Standing raised causeway, surveyed. 100 km straight white road. A 300 km Ti'ho-coast road is claimed but unverified (Open).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacbe Ballcourts and platform mounds (idea) 750–1150 Mesoamerica (ballgame heartland) → Hohokam core, Arizona. c. 750-1150 CE. Proven by: Architectural style comparison. Parallels accepted; whether it is borrowing or local development is debated.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohokam Copper bells from West Mexico to Hohokam/Southwest 750–1150 West Mexico metalworking zone → Snaketown / Hohokam core, Arizona. Colonial-Sedentary periods. Proven by: Artifact type + lost-wax casting (style/technology); Vargas 1994 thesis on bell trade. Also mosaics, stone mirrors and macaws from the south.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohokam Gold-copper objects in Sacred Cenote, Chichén Itzá 750–1500 Isthmo-Colombian metal zone (Panama/Costa Rica/Colombia) - proposed → Sacred Cenote, Chichén Itzá. deposited 750 CE onward. Proven by: pXRF, SR-XRF, RBS composition (Ruvalcaba Sil et al.). Alloys confirmed; abstract does NOT state a southern source. Origin needs deep research.https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/59 Mill Creek chert hoes and maces 800–1600 Mill Creek quarries ('Indian Diggings'), Union Co., Illinois → Cahokia, Illinois. Mississippian. Proven by: Distinctive chert identified by material type. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Creek_chert Chaco maize from San Juan/Animas 850–1150 San Juan / Animas River floodplain → Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon. 850-1150 CE. Proven by: Strontium isotopes (USGS). https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3035 Chaco maize grown far away 850–1150 Chuska Mountains base (Newcomb area) → Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon. 850-1150 CE. Proven by: Strontium isotopes in corncobs vs soil water (USGS). 6 cobs from ~80 km west; 1 from San Juan/Animas floodplain ~90 km north.https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3035 Chaco turquoise from Cerrillos Hills 900–1150 Cerrillos Hills, New Mexico → Chaco Canyon. Chacoan era. Proven by: Cu/H isotopes. Long assumed sole source; study showed it was one of several (~200 km).https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-turquoise-trade-network-of-ancient-pueblos-revealed Chaco turquoise from Colorado 900–1150 Colorado turquoise deposits → Chaco Canyon. Chacoan era. Proven by: Cu/H isotopes. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-turquoise-trade-network-of-ancient-pueblos-revealed Chaco turquoise from Nevada 900–1150 Nevada turquoise deposits → Chaco Canyon small houses. Chacoan era. Proven by: Copper and hydrogen isotopes (800 source analyses; 42 of 74 artifacts matched). Smaller Chaco sites got turquoise from the far west; Pueblo Bonito favored nearby deposits.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-turquoise-trade-network-of-ancient-pueblos-revealed Chaco turquoise from southern California 900–1150 Southern California (Mojave) turquoise → Chaco Canyon. Chacoan era. Proven by: Cu/H isotopes. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-turquoise-trade-network-of-ancient-pueblos-revealed Moapa Valley turquoise from Colorado/NM (two-way) 900–1150 Colorado / New Mexico turquoise → Moapa Valley, Nevada. Chacoan era. Proven by: Cu/H isotopes. Shows turquoise flowed both west and east.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-turquoise-trade-network-of-ancient-pueblos-revealed Scarlet macaws at Chaco and Mimbres 900–1200 Tropical scarlet macaw range (nearest: southern Gulf lowlands of Mexico) → Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon (Mimbres also). 900-1200 CE (radiocarbon on 14 birds). Proven by: Ancient mitochondrial genomes + radiocarbon (George et al. 2018, PNAS). Birds came from ONE narrow breeding population, location unhttps://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/scarlet-macaw-dna-points-ancient-breeding-operation-southwest Cacao drink at Chaco 1000–1125 Mesoamerican cacao zone (nearest at contact: Gulf lowlands / Colima) → Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon. 1000-1125 CE (pottery style). Proven by: Theobromine in residue of cylinder jars by HPLC-mass spectrometry (Crown & Hurst 2009, PNAS). 3 of 5 sherds positive. Exact cacao source unknown; ~2,000+ km.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2650116 Etowah copper 1000–1550 Appalachian copper (NC/GA counties named in keywords) or Lake Superior → Etowah mounds, Georgia. Mississippian. Proven by: Trace elements (Hurst & Larson 1958, American Antiquity 24:177). Only citation/keywords visible; result needs deep research.https://core.tdar.org/document/183805/on-the-source-of-copper-at-the-etowah-site-georgia Genetic cousins: Lucayan Islands and Ayiti 1000–1500 Lucayan Islands (Bahamas) → Ayiti (Dominican Republic). late pre-contact. Proven by: Shared X-chromosome segments (Fernandes et al. 2021). 19 cousin pairs on different islands; one pair ~600 miles apart.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201223125751.htm Lightning whelk beads at Cahokia (35,000+ beads) 1000–1150 Gulf Coast (whelk habitat) → Cahokia Mound 72. c. 1030 CE. Proven by: Species identification (lightning whelk columella beads). 32,789 whelk beads in one cache; exact coast segment needs deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_72 Lucayan pottery from Ayiti 1000–1500 Northwest coast of Ayiti (Hispaniola) → Lucayan Islands (Bahamas + Turks & Caicos). 'hundreds of years' before Spanish. Proven by: LA-ICP-MS elemental fingerprint of 96 sherds, 11 islands (Kracht, Bloch & Keegan 2022). Ayiti was the hub; Cuba was not the main supplier.https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/indigenous-communities-used-the-caribbean-sea-as-an-aquatic-highway Mill Creek chert to Gahagan (Caddo) 1000–1300 Mill Creek quarries, Illinois → Gahagan Mounds, Louisiana. Mississippian. Proven by: Material identification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Creek_chert Mill Creek chert to Spiro 1000–1450 Mill Creek quarries, Illinois → Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma. Mississippian. Proven by: Material identification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Creek_chert Mound 72 arrowheads from Caddoan Oklahoma 1000–1150 Caddoan region, Oklahoma → Cahokia Mound 72. c. 1000-1150 CE. Proven by: Lithic material + style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_72 Mound 72 arrowheads from Tennessee 1000–1150 Tennessee → Cahokia Mound 72. c. 1000-1150 CE. Proven by: Lithic material + style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_72 Mound 72 arrowheads from Wisconsin 1000–1150 Wisconsin → Cahokia Mound 72. c. 1000-1150 CE. Proven by: Lithic material + style of 709 points. Points 'collected from throughout the Mississippian world'.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_72 Sweet potato to Polynesia 1000–1100 Peru-Ecuador coast (Southern gene pool) → Eastern Polynesia (Cook/Society Is.). collected c. 1000-1100 CE. Proven by: Herbarium DNA incl. Cook 1769 specimens; chloroplast + nuclear markers (Roullier et al. 2013, PNAS). Mechanism (human voyage vs natural drift) has been debated; this study supports hhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3568323 Cahokia copper workshop (sheet copper, repoussé plates) 1050–1350 Native copper (source not named in study) → Cahokia Mound 34 copper workshop, Illinois. Mississippian, c. 700-1400 CE (site span). Proven by: Metallographic study + replication (annealing/hammering); source not tested. Lake Superior line is a placeholder: the source page names no copper source. Needhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110613151714.htm Bois d'arc bow wood 1100–1450 Red River valley (Caddo homeland) → Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma. Spiro era. Proven by: Wood species identification. http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/spiro.html Gulf of California olive-shell beads at Spiro (~14,000) 1100–1450 Gulf of California → Spiro Mounds (Grave 145), Oklahoma. Spiro era. Proven by: Species identification (dwarf olive). Pacific-side shell reached the Arkansas River valley.http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/spiro.html Gulf whelk gorgets and cups at Spiro 1100–1450 Northern Gulf Coast → Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma. Spiro era. Proven by: Species identification. http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/spiro.html Kalinago arrival in the Lesser Antilles 1100–1500 Mainland South America (Guianas) - traditional origin → Ay Ay (St. Croix) / Waitukubuli (Dominica). c. 800 years ago (St. Croix). Proven by: Archaeology at Salt River Bay + historical accounts. Arrival is Record; mainland origin route not covered by this page, needs deep research.https://www.nps.gov/places/the-arrival-of-the-kalinago.htm Pachuca green obsidian at Spiro 1100–1450 Sierra de las Navajas (Pachuca), Hidalgo, Mexico → Spiro Mounds (Craig Mound), Oklahoma. Spiro era. Proven by: EDXRF; peralkaline chemistry makes match 'very secure' (Barker et al. 2002). Direct chemical proof of a Mesoamerica-to-Mississippian object, ~1,900 km. One object; route (land vs Gulf) Openhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-antiquity/article/abs/mesoamerican-origin-for-an-obsidian-scraper-from-the-precolumbian-southeastern-united-states/37C219AA6EF9025FAC4B3C116BC3EB57 Red flint clay pipes/effigies at Spiro 1100–1450 Flint clay near Cahokia (St. Louis area) → Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma. Spiro era. Proven by: Material identification (flint clay). http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/spiro.html Native American DNA in Polynesians 1150–1250 Northern South America (signal closest to modern Colombia) → Eastern Polynesia (South Marquesas etc.). c. 1200 CE. Proven by: Genome-wide identity-by-descent segments, 807 people, 17 islands + 15 Native groups (Ioannidis et al. 2020, Nature). Who sailed (Polynesians east or Americans west) is Open.https://phys.org/news/2020-07-polynesians-native-americans-contact-european.html Sweet potato to Aotearoa 1150–1250 Eastern Polynesia → Aotearoa (New Zealand). c. 1150-1250 CE. Proven by: Same study. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3568323 Scarlet macaw breeding at Paquimé 1200–1450 Tropical macaw range (founder birds) → Paquimé (Casas Grandes), Chihuahua. c. 1200-1450 CE. Proven by: Strontium isotopes on 30 macaws (Schwartz & Somerville). Most birds raised locally; 8 were non-local, origin of those 8 Open.https://core.tdar.org/document/443297/local-origins-distant-connections-exploring-prehispanic-macaw-exchange-through-radiogenic-strontium-isotope-analysis-at-paquime-chihuahua-mexico West Mexican copper/bronze to Maya region 1200–1521 West Mexico ore deposits (Michoacán area) → Maya sites, Belize (e.g., Lamanai). c. 1200-1521 CE. Proven by: Lead isotopes on 171 artifacts + 15 ore deposits (Hosler, Science 1996). Most Mesoamerican bells matched West Mexican ores.https://news.mit.edu/1996/mexico-1002 Turquoise from Southwest to Aztec/Mixtec Mesoamerica 1300–1521 US Southwest turquoise mines → Templo Mayor, Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Postclassic (Aztec/Mixtec). Proven by: Lead + strontium isotopes on Templo Mayor and Mixtec tiles (Thibodeau et al. 2018, Science Advances). The long-held 'status quo' claim (SW turquoise to Aztecs) was TESTED and the tested tiles mathttps://news.arizona.edu/news/new-research-unveils-true-origin-ancient-turquoise Dentalium to the Missouri River villages 1400–1837 Columbia River (Clatsop) / Snake River (Nez Perce) → Knife River Indian Villages, North Dakota. by c. 1400 CE. Proven by: Archaeology at Knife River (Picha) + oral history. Route: Columbia - Snake - Yellowstone (Elk River) - Missouri.https://ictnews.org/news/the-journey-of-dentalium-tracing-ancient-trade-routes-along-the-upper-missouri-2/ Qhapaq Ñan: Cusco to Mendoza 1400–1532 Cusco → Mendoza, Argentina. 15th c.. Proven by: Road remains. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1459 Qhapaq Ñan: Cusco to Quito 1400–1532 Cusco → Quito. 15th c. (on older roads). Proven by: Standing road remains (UNESCO World Heritage). Whole network ~30,000 km, six nations; built partly on pre-Inca roads.https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1459 Qhapaq Ñan: Cusco to central Chile 1400–1532 Cusco → Central Chile (Santiago area). 15th c.. Proven by: Road remains. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1459 Qhapaq Ñan: Quito to Pasto 1400–1532 Quito → Pasto, Colombia. 15th c.. Proven by: Road remains. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1459 Spondylus shell (mullu) up the Andean road 1400–1532 Warm Pacific waters off Ecuador → Cusco. 15th c. (Inca). Proven by: UNESCO dossier: goods carried on Qhapaq Ñan. Spondylus use is far older; earlier routes need deep research.https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1459 Great Trading Path (Piedmont) 1500–1750 Occaneechi Island → Trading Ford, Yadkin River. . Proven by: Same accounts. https://www.ncpedia.org/great-trading-path Great Trading Path (north segment) 1500–1750 Fort Henry (Petersburg), Virginia → Occaneechi Island (Clarksville), Virginia. footpaths before record; written 1670. Proven by: Colonial travel accounts (Lederer 1670, Needham & Arthur 1673, Lawson 1701) + maps. Began as linked village footpaths of the Piedmont nations.https://www.ncpedia.org/great-trading-path Great Trading Path (south) 1500–1750 Trading Ford, Yadkin River → Catawba villages. . Proven by: Same accounts. Branches west to Cherokee, south to Congaree and Augusta.https://www.ncpedia.org/great-trading-path Maya trading canoe met by Columbus 1502 Maya lowland coast (Yucatán / Gulf of Honduras) → Bonacca (Guanaja), Bay Islands. 30 July 1502. Proven by: Spanish eyewitness account (Ferdinand Columbus). Cargo: ceramics, dyed cotton cloth, flint/obsidian-edged swords, copper hatchets. Size and crew details need deep research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_voyage_of_Columbus Hatuey crosses the Windward Passage 1511 Ayiti (Hispaniola) → Cuba (east). c. 1511. Proven by: Spanish chronicles. Warned Cuba's people about the Spanish.https://keyshistory.org/histindians.html Plains Sign Language (Hand Talk), Gulf Coast to Plains 1527–1900 Gulf Coast of Texas → Northern Plains (Mandan/Hidatsa country). fully formed by 1527/1541. Proven by: Spanish eyewitness accounts (Cabeza de Vaca 1527, Coronado 1541). 37+ oral languages, 12 families; 1 million sq mi. Mature at first record, so older.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_Indian_Sign_Language Plains Sign Language into northern Mexico 1527–1900 Southern Plains → Northern Mexico. historic. Proven by: Early Spanish accounts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_Indian_Sign_Language Plains Sign Language to central Canada 1527–1900 Central Plains → Central Canada (Saskatchewan). historic. Proven by: Ethnographic records. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_Indian_Sign_Language Mobilian Jargon (trade language) 1700–1900 Mobile Bay / Gulf Coast → Natchez / lower Mississippi Valley. documented from 1700. Proven by: Historical word lists; Western Muskogean (Choctaw-Chickasaw) base. Pre-contact origin is Disputed (Crawford: post-contact; others: Mississippian-era).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilian_Jargon Mobilian Jargon north to Illinois 1700–1900 Lower Mississippi → Southern/central Illinois. 1700s-1800s. Proven by: Historical records. Possible use 500 mi up the Missouri among the Osage.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilian_Jargon Mobilian Jargon west to East Texas 1700–1900 Lower Mississippi → East Texas (Caddo country). 1700s-1800s. Proven by: Historical records. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilian_Jargon Keys peoples (Calusa/Tequesta world) to Havana 1704–1763 Florida Keys → Havana, Cuba. 1704, 1711 (270 people), 1763. Proven by: Spanish documents (Perdomo 1711; Romans 1763). Movement under colonial pressure, by Spanish ships.https://keyshistory.org/histindians.html Chinook Jargon (Chinuk Wawa) 1778–1900 Columbia River mouth (Lower Chinook) → Nuu-chah-nulth territory (Nootka Sound). 1778 word list; spoken to Lewis & Clark 1805. Proven by: Historical word lists; ~300 Native-root words. Pre-contact jargon is Disputed (no hard proof either way).https://historylink.org/File/23036 Chinook Jargon north to Alaska 1800–1900 Columbia River mouth → Southeast Alaska. 19th c.. Proven by: Historical records. https://historylink.org/File/23036 Chinook Jargon south to California 1800–1900 Columbia River mouth → Northern California coast. 19th c.. Proven by: Historical records. https://historylink.org/File/23036 Chinook Jargon upriver (The Dalles) 1800–1900 Columbia River mouth → The Dalles, Columbia River. 19th c.. Proven by: Historical records. Chinookan speakers lived upriver to The Dalles.https://historylink.org/File/23036