In the Four Corners region of the United States, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet and the Colorado Plateau dominates countryside and climate, the land is riddled with innumerable ruins. Ruins reminiscent of complex societies that eked out an existence in this semi-arid to arid high desert. Once formerly nomadic Native tribes settled, they built permanent structures out of local rock and wood and plastered them with adobe fashioned from dirt and water, thereby transforming their habitations into edifices the color of the earth. They rang in what would later be called the Pueblo Period, spanning the centuries from 700 to 1300 AD.
Four Corners region of Colorado
Clusters of these pueblos lined canyon interiors and rims, or were nestled under overhangs, nearly all sites chosen for the proximity of a spring or seep that ensured a steady supply of water. Piñon pines, junipers, sagebrush, and the associated plant community furnished material for construction, firewood, clothing, and food.
Juniper/sagebrush plant community
Juniper berries, a food source
Wild animals still supplemented their diet and dress, but their hunting and gathering lifestyle shifted to one relying heavily on agriculture which produced the southwestern holy trinity of foodstuffs: corn and beans and squash. An infinite sky with an unobstructed view of countless celestial constellations inspired purposefully placed petroglyphs that precisely pinpointed vernal and autumnal equinoxes, winter and summer solstices, as well as additional astronomical phenomena.
Astronomical petroglyphs
Petroglyphs (rock carvings, depicted here) and pictographs (rock drawings, not shown here) are the only “written” documentation left behind by the Ancestral Puebloans
“Who were these people?”– to echo my husband’s deferential question. When modern-day observers first beheld their monumental settlements, they adopted the appellation Anasazi for their architects, from the Navajo language, meaning “ancient enemies” or “ancient foreigners.” According to early explorers, they seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. In recent decades, this outdated view has been replaced and it is now thought that they dispersed into surrounding regions, where they mingled with the ancestors of contemporary pueblo dwellers. Consequently, the term Anasazi was supplanted by the name Ancestral Puebloans.
Cacti thrive in the arid climate…
…so do lizards
Raven on ruins
Why did these rulers of remote reaches abandon their carefully constructed communities that had withstood the caprices of centuries? Nobody knows exactly, but theories abound. That water equals life rings true everywhere, but nowhere is this more evident than in an ecosystem which operates on the slimmest margin of moisture, where the presence of this essential element is indicated by scarce emerald ribbons winding through the pastels of the desert. Did they depart because of a paucity of this precious product, when one decade of drought succeeded another, as tree ring analysis suggests? Did overuse lead to depletion of the soil, to ensuing tensions, and to armed conflict over precious commodities? As one question is answered, another arises, and many remain.
Who were these Ancestral Puebloans?
This is part 1 of a series.
Click here for part 2 (Chaco Canyon), here for part 3 (Mesa Verde), here for part 4 (Hovenweep), and here for part 5 (Bandelier).
Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:
https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/ancestral-puebloans-teil-1-ubersicht/
tanja britton 
What a great post. I love the idea of someone somewhere enjoying “an infinite sky”.
The photograph of petroglyphs are almost identical to petroglyphs I have seen on rocks in Kazakhstan. They are so similar, the people who made them must have been connected.
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Thank you, Cathy. The similarity in petroglyphs is intriguing, isn’t it? I think many cultures were attuned to celestial events and documented their recurrences in an impressive way. But who knows if there were connections beyond continents?! There are more questions than answers, for sure.
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Have you read the Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari?
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No, I have not. I just looked it up, and it sounds intriguing. Have you read it? If so, what did you think? Or has or will this be the topic of a future book review? 🙂
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I just started reading it. I like it so far, and I think you might like it too.
Here’s my favorite quote in Chapter One: “Genus Homo’s position in the food chain was, until quite recently, solidly in the middle. For millions of years, humans hunted smaller creatures and gathered what they could, all the while being hunted by larger predators. It was only 400,000 years ago that several species of man began to hunt large game on a regular basis, and only in the last 100,000 years – with the rise of Homo sapiens – that man jumped to the top of the food chain.
That spectacular leap from the middle to the top had enormous consequences. Other animals at the top of the pyramid, such as lions and sharks, evolved into that position very gradually, over millions of years. This enabled the ecosystem to develop checks and balances that prevent lions and sharks from wreaking too much havoc. As lions became deadlier, so gazelles evolved to run faster, hyenas to cooperate better, and rhinoceroses to be more bad-tempered. In contrast, humankind ascended to the top so quickly that the ecosystem was not given time to adjust. Moreover, humans themselves failed to adjust. Most top predators of the planet are majestic creatures. Millions of years of dominion have filled them with self-confidence. Sapiens by contrast is more like a banana republic dictator. Having so recently been one of the underdogs of the savannah, we are full of fears and anxieties over our position, which makes us doubly cruel and dangerous. Many historical calamities, from deadly wars to ecological catastrophes, have resulted from this over-hasty jump.”
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Thank you for going to the trouble to type so many lines, Nirmala. It definitely whets the reading appetite! 🙂
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Some years ago my husband and me, we visited Arizona and its Navajo National Monument. I do not know were your first picture has been taken, but it looks very much alike. The place was very special and you could feel the spirituality all around.
As for the Petroglyphs, we saw them at the Chelly National Park, and as our guide put it back than, ” these were their newspapers “.
I am curious about the part 2 of this series!
kindest regards from Canada
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Thank you for your interest and comment, Christa. Ruins from different places resemble one another, but the one on top was actually taken at Mesa Verde, the topic of part 3 of my series. Petroglyphs are simply everywhere, and they are fascinating to ponder. I have also heard that they functioned as newspapers, but everything is conjecture. I think that’s one of the reasons we are so fascinated with these ancient cultures.
I hope you will enjoy the “sequels”.
Best wishes,
Tanja
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I suspect you’ve read Ancient Ruins of the Southwest? A great book on that subject. Lovely photos, brings back memories both of being there and of all the Tony Hillerman mysteries I’ve read….
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Actually, Diana, I have not read this book, know a few other guides to the area. It looks very interesting, though, need to check it out. Thank you for the tip. I am glad to bring back memories… 🙂
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I have always wanted to visit this part of the United States, to see the ruins at Mesa Verde. It seems like such a different society from the typical palace and mammoth temple remnants of most ancient civilizations. “An infinite sky with an unobstructed view of countless celestial constellations” would also have inspired me as it did the ancient dwellers of the region. So looking forward to the rest in your Ancestral Puebloans series.
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Thank you for stopping by, and for traveling with me vicariously, until you can come see this corner of the US with your own eyes. I hope you will continue to enjoy the journey.
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Finally! I return to begin reading your series on the Puebloans. Your account is complete, from my recollection with the park ranger early this summer, and we too had more questions unanswered than satisfied. The kids enjoyed being among the ruins and learning about a sustainable life in the desert and under the cliffs. It is hard to appreciate the resiliency of these people without going to these places first hand.
Thank you for superb account, supporting information, and representative photos (gorgeous lizard!!). Looking forward to the next in the series. ~ Shannon
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Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Shannon. I hope my posts will bring back some nice memories of your visit to the Four Corners Region.
Best, Tanja
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This is amazing!! I learned even more about my recent adventure!! Lol thank you so much, I look forward to reading more!!
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Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
Best wishes,
Tanja
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Sorry it took so long lol
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Not at all!
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[…] If you have followed my blog for a while, you might remember my series about Ancestral Puebloans from 2017 (I know I sound like a broken record but where, or where, does time go?). I have always intended to add to the existing posts, but did not manage to follow through with my plan. And while we haven’t visited any new Ancestral Puebloan sites lately, my recent posts about New Mexico have inspired me to dig into my memory as well as my photo archive to re-live our times at Bandelier. It is not necessary to read or re-read all previous four posts, but I would recommend to at least look at the start of the series, Ancestral Puebloans-Part 1: Overview. […]
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