The people probably lived in smaller family bands whose numbers would increase or decrease through marriage, death and other factors. These bands would be scattered over the land with small numbers of people living in a geographic area. The small bands probably lived in some fixed place during some seasons. The band would move to other places to take advantage of food resources. We use the term, seminomadic to describe this pattern of movement.
Nomads are people who move from place to place in search of food or water.
Archeologists have found that some tribes were planting sumpweed, sunflowers and bottle gourds towards the end of this period. The domestication of plants and animals is a great step forward in people's ability to control their environment. The Paleo-Indians' tool making ability was still at a low level of skill. Virginia Indians, from 3,000 to 8,000 years ago Early Indians began to make better tools over time. The Archaic Period began about 8,000 years ago.