Canyon de Chelly: The Story of Its Ruins and PeopleBradley, Zorro A.
History
Canyon de Chelly: The Story of Its Ruins and People
Bradley, Zorro A.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument (Ariz.); Navajo Indians; Pueblo Indians -- Antiquities
Between A.D. 1000 and 1050 the culture of the Anasazi reached its height
and became stable for a few centuries, until about A.D. 1275-1300. Their
homes were now substantial buildings of stone masonry, containing
numerous adjoining rooms. Their kivas followed standard lines and were
often incorporated in the house structures, though they were sometimes
built as separate, semisubterranean chambers. No other abrupt changes or
new forms distinguish this late period, which was essentially a
continuation and fulfillment of earlier times. The large pueblos, most
of which were begun about A.D. 1000, are the most outstanding
development of this period.
In Canyon de Chelly, construction was started on White House and
Antelope House during these years. Other important population centers
were developing simultaneously at Mesa Verde (Mesa Verde National Park,
Colo.), where the largest concentration of surviving cliff dwellings is
located, and at Chaco Canyon (Chaco Canyon National Monument, N. Mex.),
where spacious apartment houses, one with more than 800 rooms, were
constructed on the floor of the canyon. Other villages were built in the
Kayenta-Marsh Pass area (near Navajo National Monument, Ariz.).
As permanent homes gave them social stability and well-developed
agriculture ensured adequate food, the Anasazi had leisure and
sufficient security for greater activity in their arts, crafts, and
ceremonials. As a consequence, trade with other peoples seems to have
grown and flourished because it brought in the specialized and exotic
materials needed for rituals and pleasure. Parrots were traded from
Mexico for their plumage, and ornamental shells from the Gulf of
California and the West Coast found their way to Anasazi settlements.
Turquoise, jet, and salt also became important trade items.
The mode of dress changed little. Feather-string blankets were still
commonly worn in winter. Cotton became almost the only fiber used for
making cloth. Sandals, which were woven from whole yucca leaves, were
crude, compared to those of earlier periods. But painted pottery reached
its highest development in both variety and quality.
These great pueblo centers flourished for about two centuries. But this
was a time of increasing dryness in the Southwest, and the end for these
settlements came during a severe drought late in the 13th century.
Tree-ring data indicate that there was not enough moisture to produce
crops during most of the years between 1276 and 1299. The drought
brought crop failures, and the ensuing erosion destroyed the fields.
Hunger, decline, and migration followed. Family after family and group
after group left their homes in the cliffs and canyons. Taking what few
possessions they could carry on their backs, they drifted away in search
of land with a dependable water supply suitable for farming.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account