When did humans first reach the Americas?

The first people to reach the Americas are thought to have arrived at least 15,000 years ago, with some sites suggesting an even earlier presence. Many crossed from Asia into Alaska over Beringia, a land bridge exposed when sea levels dropped during the last Ice Age, then spread southward through the continents. These early inhabitants gave rise to the diverse Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The exact timing and routes remain active areas of archaeological research.