There are several theories on how they first arrived but evidence supports that Homo Sapiens crossed over the now-disappeared Beringia Land Bridge from Asia and Siberia to Alaska. Known as the Clovis people, their bone and stone tools were discovered at a site in New Mexico and fossils show they were contemporary with 'megafauna' or giant animals of the Ice Age, including mammoths, dire wolves, huge turtles, camels and giant bison.

While very few of the original structures remain, the first American homes were the dwellings of the Native American peoples. Every settlement was different, utilising the natural materials that were at hand and adapting to the weather conditions of the region. Most settlements were comprised of small villages that utilised distinctive architectural styles such as tipis, longhouses, chickees, hogans or pueblos.

America's oldest homes from caves to colonial cottages