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Canyon de Chelly 1 October 17, 2008 |
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The Canyon is replete with several hundred ruins of villages of the Anasazi, the Ancient ones, most
built between 350 CE and 1300 CE. The earliest inhabitants lived in pithouses and are often referred to as the Basketmakers,
because of, well, their fine basketry. They were farmers who grew maize and squash.
They later adopted outside innovations like bow-and-arrow, bean cultivation and pottery. Over time, their dwellings changed, too, and the pithouses were replaced by stone masonry apartment complexes built into the canyon walls, which set the tone for the village lifestyle they thenceforth led. This transition was mostly completed by about 700 CE, and the Anasazi canyon dwellers after 700 are referred to as Pueblo Indians, 'Pueblo' being Spanish for village. |
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