Mesa Verde and the Ancient Anasazi

By Brett Kohout

Mesa Verde

•National park in Colorado

•Spanish for “Green Table”

•Naturally created through millions of years as area transformed from ocean to dry land

•Home to the Anasazi, or “Ancient Ones” from 6th to 13th century AD

A Favorable Climate

•A long, frost-free growing season

•Moderately hot summer temperatures for crop growth

•Reasonably dependable summer rains from mid-July through August

•Moderately high daily temperatures in winter

•Few severe cold periods in winter

•Soils Suitable for growing crops

•Springs for water

The Basketmakers AD 1-AD 550•Collected seeds, nuts, fruits, and berries

•Competent hunters

•Baskets were most important to people

•Baskets were coated with pitch and could carry water

The Modified Basketmakers AD 550- AD 750

•Increasing dependence on agriculture stops semi-nomadic lifestyle

•Building of pithouses

•Started planting beans

•Pottery aloud food to be cooked more thoroughly

•Larger use of Clothing

The Developmental Pueblo AD 750- AD 1100

•Subterranean pitrooms which were used for secret societies and meetings

•Traditional Kivas were created from the pithouses

•Began to construct towers for defense

•Created reservoirs

The Classic or Great Pueblo Period AD 1100- AD 1300

•Large cliff dwellings constructed

•Advanced farming techniques

•Burning trees to open up cropland

•Intricate pottery

•Stone tools

•Bone tools

Similarities between Anasazi and European Lives

•Majority of people in society peasants and serfs

•Both used superstitions to interpret scientific occurences

•Similar life expectances of 30-40 years

•Similar average heights of 5 feet to 5 feet 5 inches

•Sanitation major problem for each city

•High infant Mortality rate

•Poor nutrition

•Poor clothing for winter months

•Wood shortages

Trade, the California Connection

•Many Trade routes to New Mexico, Arizona, and California

•Turqoise from New Mexico

•Shells from California

•Also salt, argillite(red material for pots), and even some cotton

What Happened to the Anasazi

•The prevailing theory is that a long drought along with previous deforestation made it near to impossible to live in Mesa Verde anymore

•Residents leave for better climates

•Acoma people of New Mexico and the Hopi in Arizona feel they are descendents of the Anasazi

•Wenger, G. (1980). The Story of Mesa Verde. Colorado: Mesa Verde Museum Association

•Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado (1997) Website found at http://www.nps.gov/meve/

Bibliography