The first humans in eastern North America were small hunting and gathering societies that lived in the eastern woodlands of the United States and relied exclusively on wild plants and animals for their food. About 4,000 years ago, pottery first appeared in North America, but was not widespread until 3,000 years ago. Pottery was an important part of these societies as they shifted from their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one built around agriculture, specifically corn, or maize. At about the same time that maize became the most important crop plant in eastern North America, a major advance in ceramic technology also occurred. Native American societies in the Southeast and Midwest United States began to add ground clam shell to strengthen or temper their pottery clay. This allowed them to make much larger, stronger, and longer-lived vessels of many different shapes. Pottery is a key element of the archaeological record from approximately 1050 B.C., gradually increasing in both the quality and types of vessels made until European explorers and settlers arrived.

Humans are part of a large taxonomic group known as Primates that falls within the phylogenic class that contains all mammals, Mammalia. This group includes our closest living relatives, the great apes, as well as living monkeys, and all extinct early human and non-human primate species. Because we are related, humans and non-human primates share many anatomical and behavioral characteristics. For example, our hands and feet have five digits, we have large brains relative to other mammals, and we have binocular vision in which our eyes face forward on the front of our skulls. Also, some non-human primates can communicate with symbols, occasionally use tools, walk on two legs for short distances, and have complex social interactions. By studying non-human primates, researchers can learn about the ancestry of modern humans and more about the lives of early human ancestors.