Anasazi Culture Essay

Introduction When researching Pueblo dwellings and the Anasazi people "Anasazi meaning ancient ones in the Navajo language"(Lynnd2012). Information retaining to the culture and how permanent dwellings did not start until the Anasazi started growing their food. Prior to agriculture, all food was product of hunting and gathering, this made moving across the country more frequent to be able to gather enough food. Once they started to farm and cultivate they stated building the first sets of housing which consisted of holes in the grounds and only later would they build on top of the holes with stone and mortar, this didn't happen till around 750AD and was a means for storage. (lynnd 2012) Also looking into religious views, and the basis

These houses were made of stone slabs and wood beams, however these became preferred living area for the Anasazi people and thusly began to live in the upper portion. "The former pit houses became religious kivas"(Lynnd2012). As time went on, more stories were added and the building became larger roughly around 1100AD these became cities of houses either between mountains or in the side of these mountains. Made up of sandstone bricks finished with plaster and supported by logs, with each floor slightly shorter than the first, they ranged from 2 to 5 stories tall. Use of pole ladders was needed to reach the upper most levels of these vast housing complexes. (Lyndd 2012) Figure 3: Mesa Verde cliff dwellings (Laurita 2007) 1300 AD a sudden disappearance of the Anasazi, No further buildings were found of the ancient civilization. Many different ideas have been tossed around of them the most likely being due to drought from between 1276 to 1299 AD, and thusly the Anasazi tribe was assimilated into the Puebelo society of their neighbors. (Laurita

However, using the structures it can be told that they were a spiritual group that would use astronomy to determine seasons, the type of people they were and how they went from a hunting and gathering society to an agricultural society. The innovation that they had made over the years to accommodate for changes in population and location. The changes in artwork depicted changes in lifestyles, war, or leadership. Finally using modern pueblo people to determine similarities that they may have with the ancient ones the Anasazi. The innovativeness of the Anasazi was amazing, and yet still unknown as to the disappearance of the Anasazi. Speculations that it was due to drought in the final years leading up to 1300AD which lead to the downfall of them. Some other debates on how they would join the other clans of Pueblo are thought to have been the change and reason for loss of the Anasazi people. Modern day Pueblo people still live in their mud homes, some being very elaborate and large. With religious Kivas in communities the following figure is a picture of a modern pueblo house currently used. (Lyndd 2012) Figure 4: Modern Day Pueblo (Reed Davis