<P> When the Appalachian mountains were formed, the plateau was lifted . Ridges and valleys all die down underneath the plateau . There are multiple valleys throughout the region which consist of exposed areas of limestone and shale . </P> <P> Archaeologists have evidence that Native Americans lived in the Appalachian region more than twelve thousand years ago; however, it is hard to say exactly when the occupants first inhabited the land . Human artifacts were collected near the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in southern Pennsylvania that were at least sixteen thousand years old . Because the early Native Americans were hunter - gatherers living off the land, they left little material traces of their lives behind them . This is why it is so hard for researchers to determine when they settled in this area . Much like many historic Native American tribes, the early Appalachian inhabitants survived as nomads, following their food on a seasonal basis . </P> <P> Around this period, North America was still recuperating from its last glacial period, and the climate was much different than now . The climate and habitat more closely resembled a tundra, with lower temperatures, numerous conifer trees, and large mammals, such as mammoths and saber - toothed tigers . Eventually, the climate began to warm up again, the large mammals started to disappear, and the vegetation seen more often today began to flourish . These climatic changes made life more sustainable for the Native Americans . They continued to invent new weapons and made advancements in agriculture until the Europeans arrived in North America . </P> <P> Europeans settled in North America beginning in the seventeenth century . In 1749, Jacob Martin and Steven Sewell were the first Europeans known to settle the Appalachian Plateau, specifically in what is now Pocahontas County in West Virginia . European colonization and competition with the Native Americans resulted in high mortality due to new diseases, as well as more deaths and social disruption due to warfare . After pushing out the Native Americans, the European American settlers developed much of this land for agriculture...</P>

Where is the appalachian plateau located in georgia