The Ancient dwellings of the Anasazi Hohokam and

The Ancient dwellings of the Anasazi, Hohokam, and the mogollon I can describe the cultures of the Mogollon, Anasazi, and the Hohokam.

The first settlers in the area now known as Arizona were Native Americans. At first they were hunters and gatherers. At that time the climate was cooler and wetter than it is now. The Southwest was filled with lush grasslands. Many large mammals, such as woolly mammoths, mastodons, and gigantic bison, lived in the area. These animals provided food, clothing, and tools for these early settlers.

Eventually, a change in the climate brought this way of life to an end. The climate became warmer and dryer. The vast grasslands disappeared. Many of the larger animals could not survive. Although these Archaic people still hunted, they concentrated on smaller game, such as deer, rabbits, and birds. They also spent time looking for wild plants. They roamed large areas and did not spend much time in one particular place. Because of this, their homes were simple. Many times they were only low stone walls or huts made of logs and branches.

Soon they realized that this traditional way of life didn’t provide them with enough food for their growing population. These early settlers became farmers. Corn was probably the first crop they cultivated. Southern cultures in Mexico had domesticated corn many years earlier, and the Arizona cultures may have learned from them. Squash and beans followed many years later. In order to tend their fields, permanent villages were established and a settled lifestyle began.

Eventually, three different groups thrived in the prehistoric Southwest. They were the Anasazi, the Hohokam, and the Mogollon. The Anasazi lived in the plateau region, the Hohokam lived in the desert region, and the Mogollon lived in the mountain region.

The Anasazi built a number of different dwellings. They started out building cone-shaped pithouses. They looked like tepees. They were excavated two to five feet into the ground, and the dirt floor was pounded flat. Next, they added a framework of poles and sticks, and then this was cover with leaves and grass. It included a main living area and a smaller side chamber.

To enter and exit, a ladder was provided that led to the roof. A fire pit was built near the middle of the room. This type of dwelling was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This served the Anasazi for many years.

As their population grew, the Anasazi replaced these pithouses with above ground dwellings. These villages were called pueblos. Some pueblos were built under cliffs and were several stories tall. They used only three materials to build these homes: sandstone, mortar, and logs. Many of the dwellings contained over one hundred rooms. To reach their homes, the Anasazi used hand-toe hold trails and ladders. Because of this, the cliff dwellings were easily defended against enemies.

One major feature of the pueblo was the kiva. The kiva was a round structure that was built below ground. It was used for religious ceremonies. The roof of the kiva was used as a courtyard. Children often played there. The cliff houses were abandoned in the 1200’s, possibly due to a severe drought.

The Hohokam Indians settled in the central and southern regions of Arizona. Their ruins are found mainly along the Salt and Gila Rivers. Because they lived in the desert, they could not rely on rain to water their crops. They dug canals that ran water from the Salt and Gila Rivers to their farm fields. They first built pithouses much like the Anasazi. Later they constructed above ground buildings made of adobe. Adobe is a mixture of brush and mud. One such dwelling is Casa Grande. It is four stories high and 60 feet long. This is a 2 min. video about Snaketown, a nearby ruin to Casa Grande. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=R-MJv. ZXSHh. U

These apartment style villages were free standing structures. The desert didn’t provide all of the building materials. They brought pine and fir trees down from the mountains to make beams for their homes. Many of the villages were surrounded by high walls for protection. There were no doors in their houses. Instead, the Hohokam entered their homes through a hole in the roof. Around 1450 A. D. the Hohokam abandoned their homes.

The Mogollon Indians lived in the mountain region of Arizona. Because their land provided many natural foods, they relied less on farming than the Hohokam. They hunted for their food or picked berries. Much like the Anasazi, the first type of house they built was a cone-shaped or rectangular- shaped pithouse. They were dug between one half meter to one meter below the surface of the ground. They were roofed with timbers and sticks. A large interior post was used to support the tepee style home, and four large corner posts were used to support the rectangular one. In the center was a fire pit or a stone lined hearth.

Later, the pithouses were replaced by above ground stone pueblos. These adobe and masonry apartment houses were built on high plateaus or in cliffs overlooking their farm fields. They were one to three stories high and contained 40 to 50 rooms. Many of the cliff dwellings were as elaborate as the Anasazi. Watch the 4 min. video of the Gila Cliff Dwellings. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ou 97 AOGb 94&feature=related Around 1300 A. D. the Mogollon lost their unique culture by being absorbed by the larger and more advanced Anasazi.

Even though archaeologists have learned much from studying these ancient ruins, still many questions remain. We wonder what their religious beliefs were like. What did their rock art mean? What made them leave their homes? Did they have an easy life or a hard one? Today, we can only marvel at the wonders these ancient people left behind.

Take out your slates. • How was the weather in Arizona different when early settlers first came into the area? • What was the name of the first type of dwelling Native Americans constructed? 3. What were the kivas used for? 4. How did the Hohokam water their crops? 5. Why did many of the Native Americans decided to construct their dwellings high in the cliffs?