Ancestral Puebloans

The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Ancestral Pueblo peoples or the Basketmaker-Pueblo culture, were an ancient Native American culture of Pueblo peoples. They lived in the Four Corners region of the United States, which includes parts of southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. Scholars believe they developed from the Oshara tradition, which itself came from the Picosa culture.

These people lived in many kinds of homes, from small family pit houses to bigger buildings for their clans, large pueblos, and homes built into cliffs for safety. They created a big network connecting hundreds of communities across the Colorado Plateau. They had special knowledge about the stars and moons, which shaped the way they built their homes. One important space in their towns was the kiva, where people would gather for ceremonies.

Archaeologists still discuss when exactly this culture began. Most agree, based on the Pecos Classification, that it started around the 12th century BCE, during a time called the Early Basketmaker II Era. The Ancestral Puebloans are thought to be the ancestors of today’s Pueblo peoples. Three very important places in the United States, such as Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and Taos Pueblo, are recognized by the world for their history and are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Etymology

The word "Pueblo" means "village" and "people" in Spanish. Spanish explorers used this word to describe the special way the Ancestral Puebloans built their homes.

The Hopi people call them Hisatsinom, which means "ancient people." The Navajo people, who live in some of the same areas today, used to call them Anaasází. This name meant "ancestors of our enemies" because the Navajo and these ancient people sometimes competed. Over time, many people began using the term "Anasazi" to talk about the Ancestral Puebloans, but this term can feel hurtful to their modern descendants. Today, many prefer the name "Ancestral Pueblo peoples."

Geography

The Ancestral Puebloans were one of four main ancient cultures in the American Southwest, also called Oasisamerica. The others were the Mogollon, Hohokam, and Patayan. They lived in the northeast part of this area, mainly on the Colorado Plateau, but their homes stretched from central New Mexico on the east to southern Nevada on the west.

Their land included parts of southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The southern edge of their area was near the Little Colorado Rivers in Arizona and the Rio Puerco and Rio Grande in New Mexico. Evidence of their culture has also been found farther east on the American Great Plains, near the Cimarron, Pecos Rivers, and the Galisteo Basin.

The landscape where they lived had many different features and resources. The plateau areas were high, ranging from 4,500 to 8,500 feet above sea level. Wide, flat areas called mesas were covered with woods of junipers, pinyon, and ponderosa pines. Wind and water shaped deep canyons and created natural shelters in the sandstone cliffs.

The Ancestral Puebloans often built their homes under rock overhangs for protection. Their land often faced dry spells and strong winds. Summer rains were sometimes hard to predict and could bring heavy storms. They relied mostly on winter snow for water. When the snow melted in spring, it helped plants grow and provided water from small streams like the Chinle, Animas, Jemez, and Taos Rivers. Larger rivers were less important to them because smaller streams were easier to use for watering their crops.

Cultural characteristics

The Ancestral Puebloans are famous for the impressive stone and earth homes they built along cliff walls, especially between 900 and 1350 CE. Some of the best-preserved examples of these homes are now protected in national parks such as Navajo National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument. These villages, called pueblos by Spanish explorers, could only be reached by climbing or using ropes.

They were also skilled potters, creating both simple gray pots for everyday use and beautifully decorated ones for special occasions. Their pottery often featured black designs on a white background, with fine lines and patterns. In addition to pottery, they created rock art, including carvings and paintings on rocks, with some of the earliest known uses of perspective in art.

Architecture

See also: Pueblo architecture and List of dwellings of Pueblo peoples

The Ancestral Pueblo people created special buildings with spaces for the whole community. Famous places like Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Bandelier National Monument show how they built using stone, mud, and other local materials. Some buildings were carved right into cliffs for safety.

These buildings often had many levels and were used for many purposes. Big open spaces called plazas were surrounded by the buildings, and many people lived together in these community homes. They held important events and had roads connecting faraway areas.

Built long before 1492 CE, these towns were often placed in safe spots, like on tall, steep cliffs. In Chaco Canyon, people cut stone and brought wood from far away to build huge structures, some of the biggest in North America at the time.

Huge buildings called "great houses" were important for special ceremonies. Inside, they found items like musical tools, jewelry, and ceremonial objects, showing these were special places for important families. These buildings had hundreds of rooms, sometimes up to 700, with high ceilings and careful planning.

Most of these big buildings faced south, with rooms arranged around open spaces. They often had several stories, with smaller rooms facing the open area and larger rooms further back. Special rooms for ceremonies called kivas were built to match the size of the building.

The walls of these buildings were made in a special way, using stone blocks filled with rubble and covered with a layer of small stones pressed into mud. Building these structures needed a lot of wood, brought from mountains far away.

Ceremonial infrastructure

The Ancestral Puebloans built an impressive system of roads known as the Chaco Road, located in Chaco Canyon. These roads connected large buildings like Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, and Una Vida to smaller sites and natural features both inside and outside the canyon.

Scientists have discovered eight main roads that stretch for over 180 miles and are more than 30 feet wide. These roads were made by leveling the ground or clearing away plants and soil. Big ramps and staircases in the cliffs linked the roads to places at the bottom of the canyon. The roads were built at the same time as many large buildings between the years 1000 and 1125 CE. Some of the roads lead to important natural spots such as springs, lakes, and mountain tops.

The Great North Road is the longest and most famous of these roads. It starts near Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl, meets at Pueblo Alto, and continues north past the canyon. Along the roads, there are only a few small structures. Researchers think these roads may have been used for trading valuable items like macaws, turquoise, and seashells from faraway places. The roads also helped transport timber needed for building, since wood was not available nearby.

Cliff communities

The Ancestral Puebloans built many homes in shallow caves and under rock overhangs in canyon walls. This was especially common in the 13th century as more people lived together in safe places. These homes were made from hard sandstone blocks and adobe mortar, and served as living spaces, defenses, and storage areas.

One famous place is Mesa Verde, where many well-preserved cliff homes still stand. These homes were very close together because of limited space, allowing many people to live in a small area. For example, Mug House had about 100 people living in just 94 rooms and eight special meeting spaces called kivas. Builders used every bit of space available. Not everyone lived in cliff homes; many lived on canyon rims and slopes in larger buildings. These structures often had special T-shaped windows and doors.

History

Origins

From 700 to 1130 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans grew quickly because of good rainfall that helped their farming. They also became more fertile, and many people moved into the area. They invented new things like pottery and ways to store food, which helped them grow.

The Ancestral Puebloans lived in three main places: Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico, Kayenta in northeast Arizona, and Northern San Juan, which includes Mesa Verde and Hovenweep National Monument in southwest Colorado and southeastern Utah. Their stories say they came from a place called sipapu, emerging from the underworld and traveling for a long time before settling where they did.

Migration from the homeland

The Ancestral Puebloans left their homes in the 12th and 13th centuries. We don’t fully know why, but it might have been because of changes in the climate, long droughts, or new people moving in. They often moved to adapt to these changes.

During a time from about 900 to 1150 CE, life was good with warm weather and good rain. Villages grew bigger, and people lived in them longer. They made special buildings and pots, and traded with faraway places. Domesticated turkeys also appeared.

Around 1130, a long dry period began, making it hard to grow food. This caused big changes, and some villages were abandoned. People also had to move because of less water.

Warfare

Sometimes, there were conflicts. Near Kayenta, Arizona, some villages moved to higher ground, possibly to protect themselves. New groups of people moved into the area, which may have caused more fighting.

Some places show signs of hard times, but ideas about what happened can vary a lot among scholars.

Cultural distinctions

Archaeologists use names like Ancestral Puebloan to describe similarities and differences in old tools, buildings, and other items left behind by ancient people. These names help scientists study the past, but they are not perfect. They don’t tell us everything about the people’s beliefs, languages, or daily lives because these things often leave no physical traces.

It’s important to remember that these groups did not live in separate, fixed areas like modern countries. Ancient people traded, worked together, and sometimes fought with nearby groups. Differences between cultures grew slowly the farther apart people lived, much like how styles can change from one place to another. Natural features like mountains and rivers also shaped how often different groups met and shared ideas.