Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi): Why Did They Leave?
About 700 years ago, a drought destroyed one of North America’s great
civilizations. This group of people is known as the Anasazi or Ancestral
Puebloans. During the period of 700 to 1300 A.D. the Ancestral Puebloans
(Anasazi) lived in complex stone and adobe villages on the Colorado Plateau.
The Colorado Plateau is located in the Four Corners region of the western part of
the United States. This area is located near southern Colorado, southern Utah,
western New Mexico and northern Arizona. Some of the villages the Anasazi
built were known as Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.
The Four Corners area is high desert and has snow in the winter and rain in the
summer. The Anasazi also depended on rivers for their water.
They also
depended on rain water. They practiced dry farming – this method depended on
rainfall. The Anasazi captured rain in collection basins to be used later. The
farmers grew corn, squash and beans to feed their people. In years of summer
rain they ate well; in years of drought they faced starvation.
Their lives in these villages were busy with religion, farming and trade. The
Anasazi created kivas for their religious practices and plazas for group
gatherings. They built dams and canals to control water and had storage areas
to hold extra food. This complex civilization adapted well to this high desert by
considering the environment and learning how to use the water for crops. The
Anasazi successfully farmed this land for 1000 years.
In late 1200 A.D. there was a drought that lasted about 100 years. This caused
the Anasazi to leave the high desert and migrate east to what is now New Mexico
and southwest to what is now Arizona. Drought was one of the main reasons the
people had to move. They could not get enough water to grow their food and
feed their people. The lack of water led to malnutrition and starvation among the
Anasazi. It also led to warfare because people fought over what was left. They
planned on returning but did not – they eventually became the ancestors of the
Indian Pueblos in New Mexico and the Hopi Tribe in Arizona. Their civilization
ended in 1300 A.D.
Phoenix has grown by 47 times since 1920. We are now nearing 5 million people
living in the Phoenix area. This growth does not take into account the idea of a
long-term drought. We depend on river water and rainfall for our water. We get
much of our water from the Colorado River. Droughts of a year or two are not
uncommon but as you can see, in the past there have been long-term droughts
that have lasted 100 years. You have just read about the Anasazi and their
drought. You also learned about California’s Medieval Droughts. Think about
ways a drought could affect Phoenix and your family.
S. Nice and D. Godfrey, July 2006
Circular Timeline
Directions: Read Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi): Why Did They
Leave? Write details in time order in each section.
Name: _____________________________
S. Nice and D. Godfrey, July 2006
Answer Key:
1. A
drought destroyed the Anasazi over 700 years
ago.
2. The lived on the Colorado Plateau
3. Got their water from rivers and rainfall.
4. They practiced dry-farming.
5. Lived at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon for over
1000 years.
6. Adapted to their environment.
7. In 1200 AD there was a 100 year drought.
8. They could not grow crops and fighting broke out.
9. Had to move to a new area.
10. Hopi and Pueblo Indians are their descendents.
11. Phoenix is growing and depends on rivers and
rainfall for water.
12. How could a long term drought affect Phoenix?
S. Nice and D. Godfrey, July 2006