Before you read this and think "wow what a dumb question, you can google that easily."
I'm asking because I'm going over notes for a class and I'm not sure if my American History professor is blatantly wrong or if I'm just missing something despite my numerous internet searches and common sense...
My professor said the Archaic Area was anytime before 1100AD and that the Paleo Era was 1100-1700 AD. I didn't notice in class how weird it sounded, but in reviewing notes I saw how off it seemed...both of these eras should be thousands and thousands of years earlier, at least according to my history classes growing up and all sources I can find. I've compared notes and there was no misunderstanding/mishearing. I'm just hoping I'm missing something and my history professor isn't giving us completely wrong information as fact.
You'll likely get answers here, but if not, also ask in /r/AskAnthropology
This highly depends on where in the world you are as the changes from the Paleo era to the Archaic change depending on different environmental and social variables. For example in Northeastern North America the Paleoindian period generally refers to any period after the glaciers recede. The Archaic period more or less begins around 12,000 B.P. and lasts until 2,900 B.P.
The main difference between the two periods has to do with regional variation. The Paleoinidan period is generally described as having a uniform toolkit that is similar across multiple sites in a large geographic area. The Archaic period has a lot more variation in stone tool type and raw material. For example tools are made of slate, granite, schist, and limestone in the Archaic as compared to high quality cherts in the Paleoindian. Additionally you get a shift from the lance-shaped Paleoindian weapon tips to points with notches or stems at the base.
It's hard to know if your Professor is wrong or if you misheard without knowing where in America you are talking about as the Paleo era in the south is very different from the Paleo era in the North and they are both different than the Paleo era in the west.