Transcript Indian Dwellings PPT

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-and-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-MJvZXSHhU
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=ou97AOGb94&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?