Initial Publication Date: May 11, 2006

Beringia

This page was written by Jeanette Wolak and Erin Klauk as part of the DLESE Community Services Project: Integrating Research in Education.

Beringia today.
Beringia today. Details
Beringia 20,000 years ago.
Beringia 20,000 years ago. Details

Beringia is named for the Danish explorer, Vitus Bering, and is also referred to as the Bering Sea Land Bridge. This 'bridge' existed during the last glacial maximum, approximately 14,000 years ago, when sea level was much lower and present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia were connected. The rise and fall of sea levels throughout the Pleistocene would have alternately exposed and submerged the low-lying landmass.

Exposure of the Bering Sea Land Bridge is significant for several reasons. Many archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the Americas were populated by people who migrated across the land bridge. In addition, many land animals may have been able to migrate through Beringia, including mammoths, muskox, and lemmings.

To further investigate the history of Beringia, check out the links below:

Resources about Beringia

Resources containing information about the history of Beringia.


For ideas on how to use these webpages in a classroom, a Study Guide is provided.