Anasazi Indians

The Anasazi Indians were a very interesting tribe.

The word "Anasazi" is a Navajo word meaning "Ancient Ones."

The Anasazis, also known as "Cliffdwellers", were a very

artistic tribe.

They were from the American Southwest and lived in

caves in cliff walls. That's where they got their name

"Cliffdwellers".

The Anasazi lived in present day Utah, Colorado,

Arizona, and New Mexico in the region also known as the

"Four Corners"

for about 300 years. In about the 1300's they started to

leave their cliffdwellings to settle in smaller

communities. Many

historians think they abandonded their large villages

because of droughts, and were unable to grow their food.

They were

primarily farmers living in small villages. They

farmed beans, corn, squash, and other crops. They also

hunted and

wandered. They used their surplus of beans, corn, and

squash to make clay. From the clay they made pipes to

smoke, bowls to

eat from, and pots for decoration. The Anasazis had a

very organized community, with every person having a job. There

were farmers, builders, and pottery makers.

Their houses were built over knee to waist deep

ditches that they would dig. Some of their houses