Mesa Verde and the Ancient Anasazi

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Mesa Verde and the Ancient Anasazi
By Brett Kohout
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Bibliography

• 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/