- By the 5th century AD, the Anasazi's ancestors settled in southwestern Colorado. Called the Basketpeople by archaeologists because they lagged behind neighboring tribes in developing pottery, they created elaborate baskets from plant fibers and feathers. Their homes were simple pit houses dug into cave floors, though surface structures made from wood and adobe brick served as storehouses. Most villages contained kivas, or public buildings, for religious ceremonies and other public functions.
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The Anasazi were semi-nomadic, often abandoning villages after a generation. Archaeologists dispute the reasons for such frequent relocation, citing droughts, the depletion of resources, political struggles within the tribe or war with foreign powers. What is known is that by 1000 AD, the Anasazi were establishing permanent villages.
Primary food sources included corn, beans and squash, grown during a long season of nearly seven months. Living near the desert, the Anasazi improved crop output through irrigation and terrace farming. Although they domesticated turkeys for food, the Anasazi relied heavily on hunting mountain sheep, elk, mule deer, black bear, antelope and squirrels. Hunting parties also brought back wild plants to supplement the tribe's diet. -
This Anasazi Cliff Palace dates back more than 1,000 years.By the end of the first millennium, in one permanent settlement, the Anasazi erected enormous buildings in northwestern New Mexico's Chaco Canyon. Some apartment buildings had as many as 500 rooms. Other such villages were completed along a ten-mile stretch of Chaco Canyon. These villages stayed connected to each other and outlying villages through a series of roads and signal hills, on which the people used fire and reflective obsidian to send messages to nearby communities. It is unknown whether the villages of Chaco Canyon were built as religious or economic centers, or both. During this period, the Anasazi traded extensively in food, ceramics and turquoise. The Chaco Phenomenon ended in the 12th century. - In the early 13th century, some residents of Chaco Canyon relocated to southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado in what is now part of the Mesa Verde National Park. Retaining some of the architecture of Chaco Canyon, the people of Mesa Verde developed one unique feature---tall towers at the entrances to canyons. They also dug a half-million gallon reservoir for water and erected an 800-room apartment building. A major drought between 1275 and 1300 forced the Anasazi to abandon their Mesa Verde villages.
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Following the collapse of Mesa Verde and neighboring villages, the Anasazi scattered, some to the west and some to the east. The last few large pueblos were built along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. These homes housed thousands but for unknown reasons, were soon abandoned. Theories abound as to why, including starvation, war, civil war, poor sanitation and environmental degradation.
The remaining Anasazi merged with other tribes, including the Hopi, ending the construction of great pueblos along the cliffs of the Southwest.
