THE ANASAZI100 B.C. -- 1600 A.DThis is a brief summary of the culture and is not to be used for your research. The Anasazi are the most romanticized and the most studied of the prehistoric Southwestern cultures. They seem to have lived in the most beautiful locations and left thousands of stone houses, cliff dwellings and goods behind. They are believed to have initially emerged from the same archaic
cultural milieu as the other regional groups, migrating into the Four
Corners area around 100 B.C. Evidence of the Anasazi Culture exists
from southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, throughout
northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. The Anasazi were dry farmers who relied on capturing unpredictable rainfall for the growth of crops. After 1000 A.D. their culture reached its maximum population and geographic distribution, due to more efficient farming methods. They established trails and roads and created points from which signals could be relayed, as a form of communication. They engaged in a thriving trade, especially of their distinctive black-on-white pottery and turquoise. Their most obvious contribution was architectural -- their use of stone masonry and adobe structures employed for communal living quarters, which they created in cellular, contiguous fashion. At the height of their culture, they occupied fewer locations in more densely populated areas, employing large, well-planned, multi-storied pueblos with many plazas and kivas. Their cliff dwellings remain the most spectacular examples of stone masonry in North America. However, the Anasazi culture , like the Hohokam and the Mogollon, began to decline after 1300, and by 1600, they had completely abandoned the area. Various theories attribute diminished resources, population increases, lowered water tables, breakdown of social structure or raiding by enemies as the cause of their demise. Their descendents inhabit 18 pueblos throughout the Desert Southwest to this day. Copyright ©1997 Digital West Media, Inc. Obtained from: http://www.coe.ecu.edu/LTDI/project/anazfaq.htm (permission granted to use here) Anasazi Resources for further study: The Anasazi Part 1 The Anasazi Part 2 articles by Jay Sharp for DesertUSA. Find out more about the ancient people of the desert. Canyonlands National Park, Utah: Photography by Ray Rasmussen - Anasazi See images of the Anasazi, Rock art, slide show of the region and more. Mesa Verde County - summary of the Anasazi Frequently Asked Questions: Anasazi Heritage Center The Anasazi - by Max Bertola - with images that give you an idea of Anasazi life. Sipspu- Anasazi emergence into the Cyber World. Learn about architecture (Interactive), prehistory, research articles and more. Anasazi Baskets and Pottery (brief description) Southwestern Indian Civilization: Anasazi: Artifacts, pottery and more Navajo and Anasazi Dwellings - photographs Ancient Ruins in the Four Corners Area - good source for images Chaco Canyon: Historical Aspects Ancient Observatories: Chaco Canyon From Exploratorium - study of astronomy of ancient cultures. Anasazi Great Houses: Chaco: Anne Lawrason Marshall, University of Idaho, provides maps, photographs and discussion of the structures of Chaco Canyon. Includes Quick Time Virtual Reality 360-degree panoramas and bibliography. Click on red reference point on maps. Do Google searches for your specific topic - for instance: Anasazi pottery. You must use a minimum of three resources. These can be online or from books. Check the school library and Lima Public Library. Only one resource can be an encyclopedia. Only use authoritative sources from the Internet (include author and copyright date - use sites that show research) - Do not use pages done by students. Research paper should be two to four pages typed -double spaced. Use correct format for citing sources. Suggested research topics for the Anasazi: Anasazi Pottery - comparison to contemporary Pueblo potter (Acamoa and others - include photos) How do the Acoma carry on the traditions? Anasazi - Building methods - dwellings and structures (include photos) - draw a picture of an Anasazi village - neatly label the areas. Anasazi - farming methods - diet - way of life - Compare and contrast the Anasazi Indians to the Pueblo Indians of today. Anasazi - Rock art -(pictographs and petroglyphs - define both) - locations - interpretations - include images of both pictographs and petroglyphs. why is it important to preserve these? Anasazi Periods - summarize the differences and advancements for each phase - Create a time line showing the different groups of Anasazi people Archaeology - pros and cons for digging up ancestral
grounds. Has science gone too far? How have Native Americans benefited by this
research? How has it hurt them? Four Corners - flora, fauna and minerals (plants and
animals of the region - include |