The Anasazi (or "Ancient Ones")" are thought to have derived from the Mogollon culture. They inhabited the four corners of Southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, and northern Arizona from about 7000 B.C. to 1300 A.D. They left behind house remains, pottery, and tools used for hunting. The Anasazi culture was always changing, so researchers divided the occupation into six different time periods called "Peco's classification ". Each time period has a different characteristic based on settlement and artifact styles. .
The first two periods of Peco's classification marked the beginning of the Anasazi as a separate culture. The Archaic period lasted from c. 7000 to c. 100 B.C. During this period, the Anasazi were gatherers. They begin to collect a variety of plant foods, with the most popular one being maize. There wasn't much archaeological evidence left, except scattered campsites and stone tool artifacts. The time period that followed was Basketmaker II (c.100 B.C. to A.D. 600). The Anasazi were given this name due to their exquisite woven baskets and sandals. These baskets and sandals as well as bags and clothing were well preserved due to them being stored in shallow caves. It was during this time frame that squash had been added as another staple to their diet. Since their crops were so meager, hunting deer and small game had become popular. The Anasazi would store their food in deep storage pits and dwelled in alcoves or caves.
The next two time periods are the most significant to the Anasazi culture because of the changes that occurred. During the Basketmaker III (c. A.D. 600 to 750), the climate was very favorable for the Anasazi. This most likely allowed for the third staple to be added to their diet: Beans. Two more important changes that took place were grey-ware pottery appearing and the bow and arrow replacing the spear. The Anasazi also expanded their territory over canyons and mesa tops, building small homes involving semi-subterranean pit-houses.
Much of the land in the southwest is a desert. ... Some important Southwest Culture tribes are the Anasazi, Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo. ... The Anasazi were farmers. ... The Anasazi grew corn, beans, and squash. ... Indians from the Southwest culture would come north to trade for the baskets. ...
The Hopi are descendants of people who migrated into the Southwest prior to 1000 BC. The Anasazi are the Hopi's ancestors and believed to be related to the Aztecs of Mexico. The Hopi's did have their own religious beliefs and language, but they also shared a basic culture with the Zuni and other Pueblo Indians. ... The dwellings of the Hopi played an important role in their culture. ... Some of the Hopi today have gone away from their traditional lives and interact with the American public to teach us about their culture. ...
Archeological estimates begin to place the Anasazi's presence in the American Southwest about 500 BCE. The Anasazi are important at this point, to establish the fact that all the other peoples in the region appeared subsequently. Any predecessors to the Anasazi territory are unknown to history; making all subsequent comers intruders onto someone else's home turf. The Hopi, among other tribes, claim descendancy from the Anasazi. ... Hart Williams writes, "It was to be a clash of utterly alien cultures."" ...
The Southwest peoples including the Hohokam, Mogollan, and Anasazi, originated out of New Mexico and Southern Arizona used Mesoamerican crops and farming techniques. ... The most important crop of the Southwest people was corn. ... Therefore, corn (maize) meant a lot to the Southwest people and they were known for their corn. ... Sea animals were probably most important to the Subarctic and Arctic culture. ... Both cultures saw each other as a threat. ...