The Anasazi: Builders of America s First Cities



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The Anasazi: Builders of America s First Cities catalog #2993 Teacher s Guide Video Produced by Chariot Productions Published & Distributed by AGC/UNITED LEARNING 1560 Sherman Avenue Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 24-Hour Fax No. 847-328-6706 Website: http://www.agcunitedlearning.com E-Mail: info@agcunited.com 1

THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Viewing Time 19:00 minutes Grades 5-9 PROGRAM SUMMARY Before the birth of Christ, a group of farming people called the Anasazi began to settle in the four-corners region of today s United States, not far from where the borders of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. Here they constructed many large and uniquely North American cities. Although all of these cities now lie in ruin, they have become a treasured part of our national heritage because they are all that remain of our very first cities. This program traces the history of the Anasazi civilization from 12,000 years ago up to the present day and correlates the stages of its development to events that were occurring in Western Europe at the same time. STUDENT OBJECTIVES After viewing this program and participating in the lesson activities students should be able to... Trace the major changes that occurred in the development of the Anasazi civilization, i. e., food gathering techniques, building materials, interactions with other civilizations, the effects of climate and topography, and technology. Compare and contrast the changes in the Anasazi civilization to the major eras of Western European civilization. Identify the forces which may have caused the eventual disappearance/assimilation of the Anasazi civilization. TEACHER PREPARATION Before presenting this program to your students, we suggest that you first preview the video and review this guide and the blackline masters that accompany it in order to familiarize yourself with the content and be better prepared to adapt this program to the needs of your group. 3

It is also suggested that the video presentation take place before the entire group under your direction. The lesson activities grow out of the content of the video; therefore, the presentation should be a common experience for all participants. As you review these instructional materials, you may find it necessary to make some changes, additions or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We encourage you to do so, for only by tailoring this program to the specific needs of your students will they obtain the maximum instructional benefits afforded by the materials. INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM It would be helpful to point out a few things to the students before viewing this program. It is important for students to understand that up until 1492, the cultures of the Americas and those of the Europeans developed with virtually no awareness of one another; therefore, the two cultures had no influence on one another before that time. European civilization developed the way that it did primarily because of the traditions of writing, logic, and science that flourished in ancient Greece. Over time, these skills gave the Europeans a distinct edge over the Native-American cultures because they fostered technology. Technology created the ships that brought Columbus to the new world and provided the instruments he used in navigation. The printing press helped to rapidly spread the news of his discoveries. Technology also created the powerful weapons that were used to overpower the native cultures (Cortez used only 600 soldiers to conquer the 6 million occupants of the Aztec empire). Another point is that, in its beginnings, even the great civilization of Europe went through the same humble stages that were followed by the Anasazi, namely hunting, giving way to hunting and gathering, and finally to an agricultural way of life that brought permanent settlements, which then led to the creation of cities. But it must be borne in mind that the native people of the Southwest possessed many things the Europeans might not have understood or respected: for one thing, theirs was a matrilineal society and it was fairly democratic, for when the Spanish arrived at the pueblos along the Rio Grande, they remarked on the fact that these communities possessed no single powerful leader (such as a mayor or chief). The Pueblo people also possessed powerful religious beliefs which may 4

have contributed to the fact that they were peace-loving people and did not have the traditions of war and conquest that characterized the European civilization. You may also choose to distribute Blackline Master 3, Did You Know...? Fact Sheet, to the students to spark interest in the video presentation. Show the video. The viewing time is 19 minutes. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES Using a large map, point out the major centers of Anasazi civilization. Point out the locations of the present-day Pueblo tribes of the American Southwest. Review the basic steps involved in the creation of a civilization. Discussion What impact did the transition from a food-gathering society to a food-producing society have on the Anazasi in terms of housing, labor and geographical location? How did the Spanish reconcile their treatment of the Native-American people with the ideals of Christianity? Discuss the other Native-American farming people, such as the Hohokam, the Salado, and the Sinagua. What types of towns did they build? What impact did devices, such as the bow and arrow, have on civilizations? What effect did the balconies and courtyards of the pueblos have on the inhabitants? What difference did domesticated animals make in a civilization? What was the significance of irrigation on agriculture? What in modern societies would compare with the Anasazi s kivas? The Anasazi had no pack animals, wheeled vehicles, or weaponry. What difference would it have made it they had had each? What parallels exist between the Spanish conquistadors and the American colonists treatment of Native Americans? What was lost and what was gained in both instances? 5

You may choose to use Blackline Master 3, Did You Know...? Fact Sheet and lead your class in a discussion. Topics for Research Papers or Oral Presentations How do archeologists analyze and date ancient Anasazi ruins? Compare the development of the Anasazi civilization with the early development of the civilization of Europe. Trace the stages in the domestication of corn, beans and squash. Describe a typical year for an Anasazi farming family. Research the matrilineal society of the Navajos. Describe the role of the kiva in modern-day Hopi society or among other Pueblo tribes of the Southwest. Research the The Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Describe how the Spanish went about imposing their rule and their religion on the Pueblo tribes of the Southwest. Research the types of trade that took place between the Anasazi communities of the American Southwest and great civilizations of Mexico and Central America. Diagram or Poster Diagram and label the layout of a typical Chaco Canyon community as it may have appeared in the year 1000. Include fields, irrigation systems, roads and natural geographical features. BLACKLINE MASTERS/ANSWER KEY Blackline Masters 1 and 2, VOCABULARY LIST, will help students become familiar with some of the terms used in the video presentation. Blackline Master 3, DID YOU KNOW...? FACT SHEET, contains interesting facts about the Anasazi that can be used as a reference sheet. Blackline Master 4, TIMELINE, is an information sheet that can be used for reference. 6

Blackline Master 5, CROSSWORD PUZZLE, can be used as an inclass activity or as a take-home assignment. Answers are below. Blackline Master 6, MATCHING EXERCISE, can be used as an inclass activity or as a take-home assignment. Answers are below. 1. B 7. F 2. D 8. G 3. H 9. C 4. J 10. L 5. E 11. I 6. K 12. A Blackline Master 7 is the QUIZ for the video presentation. The quiz is presented below with the answers. 1. The first permanent settlements were established by the Anasazi because they had taken up a new way of life based on. A. farming, agriculture 2. The people of central Mexico are believed to have taught the Anasazi some of the construction techniques they used in building their cities at Chaco Canyon. A. Toltec 3. Name five domesticated plants and/or animals used by the Anasazi. A. Corn, beans, squash, cotton, turkeys and dogs 7

4. The circular underground rooms found in Anasazi towns that were used for religious ceremonies and as gathering places for men of the community were called. A. kivas 5. Name four advantages the Spanish had over the native people of the Southwest in the mid-fifteen hundreds. A. Metal armor, guns, swords, lances, wheeled vehicles, horses, the ability to read and write. 6. The Spanish explorer who led a huge expedition into the Southwest starting in 1540 was named. A. Francisco Coronado 7. Most of the cliff cities at Mesa Verde were built during a period of European history called the --a time when great castles and cathedrals were being built. A. High Middle Ages 8. Around the time of Christ, the Anasazi possessed neither pottery nor the bow and arrow. At this stage in the development of their civilization, they were known as. A. Basket Makers 9. The pueblos at Chaco Canyon were built (before or after) the collapse of the Roman Empire. A. after 10. The three main reasons the Anasazi are believed to have abandoned their cities at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon were,, and. A. lack of moisture, over population, declining soil fertility. 8

Script of Video Narration THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA'S FIRST CITIES Hidden away among the canyons, mountains and deserts of the American Southwest can be found mysterious ruins which often date back over a thousand years in time; places where countless generations of people once lived out their lives in a world that would seem totally strange to us today. These ancient ruins have now become a treasured part of our national heritage, for they are all that remain of our very first cities--cities built by Native Americans in their own unique style many centuries before Europeans began to settle on this continent. In this program we will learn how our first cities developed and discover how the remarkable stages of their development relate to the great eras of European history. 12,000 YEARS AGO: HUNTERS AND GATHERING TRIBES Over twelve thousand years ago, the earliest humans to inhabit the American Southwest were small tribes of hunting families. These people had no permanent homes, instead they simply wandered from place to place searching for wild game. However, as the centuries passed, less rain fell and the grasslands that fed the animal herds dried up. With less wild game to eat, hunters were forced to spend more time gathering food materials from desert plants. And so, over the centuries that followed, these tribes pursued what is called a "hunting and gathering" way of life. 2700 YEARS AGO: THE ANASAZI CIVILIZATION BEGINS Then about twenty-seven hundred years ago, as the great civilization of Greece was growing in influence and not long before the first Olympic games would take place here in ancient Olympia, an unusual hunting and gathering tribe called the Anasazi started to establish permanent settlements all across this landscape, not far from where the borders of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet. By building these simple communities, the Anasazi people had unknowingly taken the first step in the creation of a marvelous new civilization that, over the next 18 centuries, would build the largest and most fantastic of our prehistoric cities. 9

The Anasazi abandoned their old nomadic way of life because they had started to farm, for they had realized that agriculture could provide them with a more dependable supply of food than hunting and gathering. At first they raised only corn, but later they farmed squash and beans as well, using seeds from plants originally domesticated in Mexico. Because farming tied them to a single location, it made sense for them to build permanent homes for themselves, and so they constructed small villages in caves near their fields. But farming brought other changes as well. For example, Anasazi women now spent quite a lot of their time grinding the dried corn into flour, even though they still continued to crush wild fruits and berries to add to the stews of meat and corn flour that were the mainstays of their diet. And because, at this time, the Anasazi made no pottery objects but wove fibers from yucca plants into the sturdy baskets that they used every day, archeologists refer to this period of their development as the "Basket Maker" stage. 1500 YEARS AGO: THE ANASAZI CIVILIZATION AT THE TIME OF THE FALL OF ROME The Basket Maker Anasazi continued to live in simple cave communities for many centuries, but around 1500 years ago, things started to improve as they began to build new style houses and use new devices that helped make their lives easier. Across the Atlantic Ocean at this same time, around five centuries after the birth of Christ, the great empire based here in Rome had just collapsed, and the stability that Roman rule had brought to Europe was rapidly disappearing. In contrast to the great marble buildings of Rome, the new style Anasazi dwellings, called "pithouses," were very humble affairs but they were still a great improvement over their earlier homes. Pithouses were constructed partially below ground and were entered through an opening in a roof that was made of sticks and covered with a layer of packed mud. 10

It was also around this time, between 500 to 700 A.D., that many Anasazi started to leave their cave communities and build entire new villages alongside their cultivated fields as they learned to hunt with bows and arrows and to make clay pottery for the very first time. 1300 YEARS AGO: THE ANASAZI CIVILIZATION DURING THE DARK AGES Around 1300 years ago, Western Europe was in the middle of a period called the "Dark Ages" and was witnessing almost continual warfare between many rival kingdoms Owing to the violence of the times, rough wooden castles, like this one, were a fairly common sight over much of the continent. Also, simple Christian churches, like the one seen here, were becoming commonplace in European towns. It was in the midst of the Dark Ages, around 1150 years ago, that the Anasazi began the construction of six small cities, called pueblos, here in the Chaco Canyon region of northern New Mexico. The largest city, called Pueblo Bonito, covered three acres, had up to 800 rooms, and was home to an estimated 1000 people. Its construction took over 150 years to complete and employed some very advanced techniques in stone masonry. And the timbers for its roof had to be hauled in by hand from forests about 30 miles away. It is thought that about 100,000 logs were used constructing the large pueblos at Chaco Canyon. Archeologists built this model to show us what Pueblo Bonito might have looked like in the year 1050. As we can see, the city was built like a large apartment building--it was five stories high and had many doors leading from the rooms onto the open balconies and courtyards where most work was done. With the Chaco Canyon pueblos at the hub of its civilization, the Anasazi created a system of long straight roads that radiated out to distant villages in all directions. And, although they lacked the wheel, horses or pack animals of any kind, evidence has been found that the Anasazi traded with jungle tribes that lived thousands of miles to the south. For example, tropical bird feathers like these have been found in Anasazi ruins. 11

During the era of the Dark Ages, the most advanced of the Anasazi's southern trading partners were the Mayans, who built large and oftentimes elaborate cities. However, their most important long-distance trading partners were the Toltecs of central Mexico, who created the fine buildings and statues seen here. Modern-day archeologists are fairly certain that the Toltec people taught the Anasazi several of the construction techniques they used in their Chaco Canyon pueblos. 900 YEARS AGO: THE ANASAZI CIVILIZATION DURING THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES About 900 years ago, the Anasazi entered a marvelous new stage in the development of their civilization called "The Great Pueblo Period." This stage occurred during an era of European history called the "High Middle Ages. In Europe at this time hundreds of new stone castles of impressive size were replacing the earlier wooden versions. Knights on horseback competed in tournaments, and magnificent new churches seemed to be sprouting up everywhere. It was during the High Middle Ages that beautiful new Anasazi cities, like this one, began to appear in the huge caves that dot the cliffs of the Southwest, and one place in particular, this flat-topped mountain in Colorado called Mesa Verde, became the site of many of the finest Great Pueblo communities. It is still a mystery what caused the Mesa Verde people to begin the extremely difficult task of building these remote new cities--a task that required hauling tons of rock up over very steep terrain. But it seems likely that they were motivated by fear of hostile tribes. Unfortunately, since the Anasazi lacked a written language and left behind only simple pictographs similar to these, we will probably never know for certain why these great cliff cities were built. But it is an interesting coincidence that their construction occurred shortly after the migration into the Anasazi homelands of huge numbers of Navajo people whose modern-day descendants now occupy most of this region. 12

Although there is a lot we will never know about the Anasazi, we do know that the Mesa Verde people of this era kept domesticated turkeys and dogs and ate both for food. We know that they created elaborate irrigation systems to bring precious water to their fields, and we also have a good idea of what their houses looked like on the inside, even though the rooms seen here were actually built by the Salado people of southern Arizona. Because they had few possessions, their rooms contained only the bare necessities of life: a few grinding stones, pots for cooking, and some drying corn. And these rooms also must have been quite smoky because they had no chimneys, and fires were almost always kept burning in them. KIVAS Anasazi communities always possessed a unique feature which distinguished them from other southwestern villages. These were the circular underground rooms called kivas that were entered through the roof using a ladder that passed down through a smokehole. It is believed that each family group, or clan, had its own kiva, which was used for religious ceremonies and was also a place where men passed the time together, often as they wove cotton fibers into cloth. Because many different clans lived in the larger Anasazi cities, lots of kivas had to be built, for example the number of kivas at Pueblo Bonito was 38. Inside a kiva, a fire would have illuminated sacred wall paintings like these in which masked dancers holding ceremonial objects are surrounded by magical looking birds and fish that conjure up images of abundant rain and fertile crops. The floors of most kivas contained a small hole, like the one seen here on the right, called a "sipapu," which symbolized the opening where all living things were believed to have come out of mother earth. Some Anasazi cities had very large kivas that are called "great kivas." This great kiva, located in Aztec, New Mexico, was constructed partially above and partially below ground. 13

Archeologists think that because of their size, great kivas served as places where special religious ceremonies were performed that required the participation of all the clans within a community. It is thought that the large vaults on either side of the central firepit in this great kiva may have once been covered with animal skins and played as sacred drums. 725-700 YEARS AGO: THE GREAT MIGRATION OF THE ANASAZI Starting a little over 700 years ago, the Anasazi civilization changed dramatically as tens of thousands of people abandoned their homes and headed south, so that by the year 1300 virtually every Anasazi city stood empty. In the case of Mesa Verde, its cities were almost new, having been occupied for only a few generations, whereas cities like Pueblo Bonito had been lived in for over four centuries. Although no one knows the exact reason, there can be little doubt that lack of moisture, overpopulation, and decreasing soil fertility combined to force the Anasazi from their northern homelands. As a result, people from Mesa Verde migrated to new lands that had a more reliable supply of water along the upper reaches of the Rio Grande, not too far from today's city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Once again they planted fields of corn and built new pueblos, this time using bricks of sun-baked mud called adobe. This pueblo at Taos, New Mexico is a living example of one of these new-style Rio Grande communities. And the Anasazi people were living within the walls of dozens of pueblos, similar to the one at Taos, when Europe entered a great era of cultural rebirth called the Renaissance about 600 years ago. Because the Renaissance renewed peoples' interest both in knowledge and trade, Christopher Columbus became inspired to sail west from Europe in 1492 on his first voyage to the New World. Columbus' discoveries brought a flood of well-armed adventurers to North America--men who came not only to search for gold, but also to convert the native people to Christianity. 14

One such man, Hernando Cortez, personally oversaw the destruction of the Aztec empire of Mexico, which fell to Spain in 1521, and not long after the conquest of Mexico, Spain decided to add the homelands of the Anasazi to their rapidly-growing list of possessions. 460 YEARS AGO: SPANISH RULE OF THE SOUTHWEST BEGINS Then in 1540, an expedition led by Francisco Coronado, rode out from Mexico to explore these new lands. As a result, later that year, the Pueblo people got their first glimpse of the men from Spain. It is impossible to imagine the fear they must have felt as Coronado's mounted expedition came into view, but it must have been like encountering aliens from another planet, for his expedition consisted of 300 soldiers, 1000 Indian allies and slaves, plus 1500 horses and mules. This was the first time the Anasazi had ever seen horses, animals not native to the new world, and they had certainly never before seen the strange men clad in metal armor who perched on the horses backs. Coronado's arrival in the Southwest brought immediate trouble--for warfare soon erupted and the Pueblo people first experienced the deadly force of gunpowder, the brutal wounds of Spanish lances and swords, and the vicious bites of their war dogs. Eventually, having no weapons to match those of their foes, the Pueblo people were forced to accept Spanish rule. And so it was that in the year 1610, the city of Santa Fe was established as the permanent capital of the Spanish province of New Mexico. And although rule by the Spanish rule was never really welcomed, they did bring many things quite useful to the Pueblo people, such as cattle, wheeled vehicles, peaches, sheep, cucumbers, horses, and iron tools. But with the Spanish, and then with the Mexicans and the Americans that followed them, there came colonists. And yet in the 19th century, when these photographs were taken, in spite of the powerful influences brought by these foreigners, the people of the pueblos had still managed to keep their languages and traditions alive. In fact most of them continued to live much as they had before Columbus sailed to the New World. 15

Perhaps the biggest change in their lives was that they had come to accept Christianity, for churches similar to this one were now to be found in almost all of their villages. And yet, even adopting a new religion did not bring an end to their old ways; instead the old and the new lived side by side and even blended together. And to this day many of the old traditions continue to be followed in the Pueblo communities of New Mexico and Arizona; places that the descendents of the great Anasazi, the builders of America s first cities, still call home. 16

1 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Vocabulary List ANASAZI: Ancient farming people of the southwestern United States, who built great cities of stone and adobe, such as those at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. The word Anasazi means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. ATLATL: A spear-throwing device used by the Anasazi before they started using the bow and arrow. AZTECS: A powerful and cultured people who dominated Mexico starting around the 11th century. The center of their civilization was Tenochtitlan, the site of modern Mexico City. BASKET MAKER ANASAZI: Early stage of Anasazi civilization when baskets were used instead of pottery objects and spears were used instead of bows and arrows. CHACO CANYON: A great center of the Anasazi culture located in northwestern New Mexico. Six large towns or pueblos were built here starting about 850 A.D. CIBOLA: The mythical seven cities of gold. The search for Cibola was a major inspiration for Coronado s expedition into the American Southwest. CIVILIZATION: A word derived from the Latin word civitatis, meaning city or state. People who create cities are said to be civilized. Today the word has come to mean the total culture of a people. CLAN: A social group composed of families who are the descendants of a common ancestor. COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER, 1451-1506: A mariner from the city of Genoa, Italy who led an expedition, financed by the Spanish monarchs, to find a more direct route to the East Indies. CONQUISTADORES: A Spanish word that means conqueror. Cortez s men were conquistadores. CORONADO, FRANCISCO, 1500-1554: Spanish explorer who led a great expedition into the American Southwest and beyond in 1540-42. CORTEZ, HERNANDO, 1485-1547: Spanish conqueror of Mexico. CULTURE: A word derived from the Latin word cultura that means to cultivate crops. A culture is all the concepts, habits, skills, art, institutions, etc. of a particular group of people at a certain time. GREAT PUEBLO PERIOD: The period of Anasazi civilization when the great cliff cities, such as those at Mesa Verde, were built. DARK AGES: Period of Western European history after the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. up to around 1000 A.D.; the first part of the Middle Ages. A time marked by lack of innovation in art and learning. FALL OF ROME, 476 A.D.: The final collapse of the government of the western half of the great empire of Rome that had ruled much of the civilized world for many centuries. GREAT PUEBLO REVOLT: In 1680, a unified revolt of Pueblo tribes from Zuñi to Taos against rule by Spain that caused the Spanish to be driven out of the Southwest for 12 years. Some historians call this The First American Revolution. HIGH MIDDLE AGES: The age of the great castles and cathedrals and of knights and chivalry that followed the Dark Ages. This period of history lasted up until the time of the Renaissance in the mid to late 1400s. (Continued on Blackline Master 2) 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

2 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Vocabulary List (Continued) KATCHINA: Mythical beings who taught ceremonies to the ancient people of the Southwest and gave them everything they needed to sustain life. Katchina spirits guided people out of their previous underground world into the world of light. KIVA: A circular underground room found in Anasazi cities that was used for religious ceremonies and was also used by men as a place to gather together and weave cotton into cloth. Each clan had its own kiva. Great kivas were very large kivas used for religious ceremonies that required the presence of all the clans in a community. MANO AND METATE: The stone-grinding tools used to make flour from dried corn. MATRILINEAL: A system in which family descent is traced through the mother. Navajo and Anasazi cultures are matrilineal. MAYANS: Ancient civilization of Central America that dates back to around 2000 B.C. The Mayans reached the peak of their development from around 731-810 A.D. Although they had no metal tools, wheeled vehicles, or draft animals, they built great cities and had highly-developed mathematics, astronomy and art. They were the only native people in North America to invent a true system of writing. MESA VERDE: A flat-topped mountain in southwest Colorado that was a major center of Anasazi culture during the Great Pueblo Period. In Spanish, mesa means table and verde means green. NAVAJOS: A great tribe of people who migrated from the north into the Anasazi homelands about 1000 years ago. Today they are the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States and occupy the biggest reservation, whose area is greater than all of the New England states combined. PETROGLYPHS: Markings on stone; pictographic images of humans, animals, the sun, etc. PICTOGRAPH: Pictorial writing; a picture that can sometimes represent an idea. PUEBLO: A Spanish word meaning village or community. PUEBLO TRIBES: A name used to describe the Native-American farming tribes of New Mexico and Arizona who were living in villages of stone or adobe at the time Coronado arrived in the Southwest. (Coronado gave the Pueblo people this name). Today the main Pueblo tribes are the Hopis, the Zuñis, plus 18 other tribes, such as the Taos people who live mainly in the Rio Grande Valley of northern New Mexico. Most of the Pueblo tribes came into existence when the Anasazi abandoned their great cities at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and elsewhere. RENAISSANCE: An era of European history following the High Middle Ages that produced a rebirth of interest in science, learning, and art. The usual dates for this period of history are 1450-1600. SIPAPU: A small hole in the floor of a kiva that represented the opening through which living things were believed (by the Anasazi) to have originally come out of mother earth. TOLTECS: A great civilization that dominated much of modern Mexico and the northwestern part of Central America from early in the Christian era up until the 12th century. The Toltec culture is thought to have evolved from the Mayan culture. It is believed that the Anasazi learned many of their building techniques from the Toltecs, with whom they traded. WATTLE AND DAUB: A construction technique in which woven sticks are covered with mud. This technique was used in both European and North American buildings. ZUÑIS: A North American Pueblo tribe of western New Mexico. 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

3 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Did You Know...? Fact Sheet 1. One of the main animals hunted by the ancestors of the Anasazi of 12,000 years ago was the mastadon elephant, which is now extinct. 2. One thousand years ago, few Anasazi people lived beyond the age of 35. 3. The Basket Maker Anasazi actually cooked food in baskets by adding hot rocks to the stews they made in them. 4. The teeth of most Anasazi people became badly worn down due to the stone grit that got into their flour during the grinding process. 5. Anasazi clans were always headed by women, and women owned all the houses. A man who got married always moved in with his new wife s family, even though the husband always remained a member of his own mother s clan. 6. Cortez used only 600 soldiers to destroy the Aztec empire of Mexico, whose population around 1517 is estimated to have been about 6 million. 7. Montezuma, king of the Aztecs, at first believed that Cortez was a god. 8. Bows and arrows were used in ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago, but the Anasazi didn t start using them until around 700 A.D. 9. The first Europeans in the American Southwest were a small group of survivors of a shipwrecked expedition led by Cabeza de Vaca. Their ship was destroyed off the coast of Texas in 1528, and they wandered across the empty countryside for many years until they finally reached a Spanish settlement on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Their stories of seven cities of gold inspired explorers to come to the Southwest. 10. Among the Anasazi, the weaving of cloth was always a man s job. 11. The oldest evidence of corn farming in the American Southwest dates back to 3,000 B.C. 12. The Hohokam tribe that lived near present-day Phoenix, Arizona brought 250,000 acres under cultivation and built 250 miles of irrigation ditches. 13. The Pueblo tribe called the Hopis are known as the people of peace. To them, to raise a hand in aggression against someone struck a blow against the perfect order of the natural world. It is believed that the ancient Anasazi shared this peaceful attitude toward life. 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

4 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Timeline 10000 B.C. Only small hunting tribes live in the Southwest. No agriculture exists. 3000 B.C. First known corn is grown in the Southwest. 2600 B.C. Great pyramid of Cheops is built in Egypt. 2000 B.C. Mayan civilization begins in Central America. 776 B.C. First Olympic games held in honor of Zeus at Olympia in ancient Greece. 700 B.C. Basket Maker stage of the Anasazi civilization begins. They are living in small communities under rock overhangs. Farming of both corn and squash is carried out. They supplement their diets by gathering wild seeds, fruits and berries. They hunt using spears thrown by a device called an atlatl. They have no pottery and make woven baskets of many different types which they use every day. 563 B.C. The Buddha, or Enlightened One, is born in India. 457 B.C. The high point of the civilization of ancient Greece. 229 B.C. The Romans begin their conquest of Greece. 33 A.D. The crucifixion of Christ by the Romans. 325 A.D. The Emperor Constantine proclaims Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. 400 A.D. The Toltecs gain in strength in Mexico. 450 A.D. Beginning of the Modified Basket Maker Stage of Anasazi civilization. Pottery is now being used. The bow and arrow replaces the atlatl and spear. Many pithouses are being built. Turkeys are domesticated. Beans are being grown in addition to corn and squash. 476 A.D. The fall of Rome. The beginning of the era of Western European history called the Dark Ages. 570 A.D. The birth of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. 600 A.D. First Anasazi settle on Mesa Verde. 731 A.D. The Mayan civilization starts to reach a high point in its power and influence. 750 A.D. Developmental Pueblo stage of the Anasazi civilization begins. Pithouses continue to be built but wattle and daub houses are also being constructed in open areas near the fields. The first aboveground rectangular rooms appear. Some pithouses become the first kivas. More reliance on farming; improved reservoirs and irrigation systems. 850 A.D. Many Chaco Canyon pueblos are being constructed. The Chinese invent gunpowder. 1000 A.D. The Aztec culture gains in strength in Mexico. 1050-1100 A.D. The Great Pueblo stage of Anasazi culture begins. Large settlements with up to 2500 people living in large multi-storied buildings start to take shape. 1066 A.D. The Norman French conquer England. This date is often used to signify the end of the Dark Ages. 1150 A.D. Many Chaco Canyon towns are now deserted. 1230-60 A.D. Most of the large cliff dwellings are now being constructed at Mesa Verde. 1300 A.D. Anasazi towns at Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Keet Seel and Betatakin are abandoned. People migrate to the south in search of new lands and a more reliable supply of water. They start to establish new pueblo communities along the upper Rio Grande, the Hopi mesas and in the Zuñi region of western New Mexico. Western Europe is in the midst of a historical era called the High Middle Ages and many magnificent castles, cathedrals, churches and monasteries are being built. 1360 A.D. The first mechanical clock is built for the palace of Charles the Fifth of France. Guns are now in use in Europe. 1450 A.D. A common date used to indicate the beginning of the era of European history called the Renaissance and the end of the High Middle Ages. 1455 A.D. Johan Gutenberg prints the Bible using the first moveable-type printing press. 1492 A.D. Columbus sails west from Europe to find a shorter route to the East Indies. 1517 A.D. Martin Luther publicly challenges the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church, starting the Protestant Reformation. 1521 A.D. Cortez conquers Mexico. 1534 A.D. King Henry the Eighth of England forces parliament to pass two acts that breaks England from the Catholic Church and declares Henry to be the head of the Church of England. 1539 A.D. Spain claims the lands of the American Southwest. A Spanish moor named Estabanico and a small band of Native Mexicans reaches the Zuñi pueblo. 1540 A.D. Coronado s great expedition heads out from Mexico City to search for the golden cities of Cibola in the American Southwest. This is the first major contact between the Pueblo people and the Spaniards. 1598 A.D. The king of Spain approves a contract with Juan de Onate to establish the colony of New Mexico. 1607 A.D. The English found the town of Jamestown in their first North American colony called Virginia. 1610 A.D. Santa Fe is established as the permanent capital of the Spanish colony of New Mexico. 1680 A.D. The Great Pueblo Revolt: a coordinated revolt of pueblos from Zuñi to Taos that results in the Spanish being driven out of the Southwest for a period of twelve years. Some historians call this the First American Revolution. 1732 A.D. George Washington is born in the English colony of Virginia. 1776 A.D. Declaration of Independence of the American colonies from their mother country. 1821 A.D. Mexican independence from Spain. The southwestern tribes become subjects of the Mexican government instead of the Spanish government. 1848 A.D. As a result of winning the Mexican War, the Southwest becomes part of the United States. 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

5 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Crossword Puzzle 2 1 5 1 6 2 7 3 3 4 4 6 5 Down: 1. A tribe of people who migrated into Anasazi homelands about 1000 years ago. 2. Social group composed of families who are the descendents of a common ancestor. 3. Spanish word meaning village or community. 4. North American Pueblo tribe of western New Mexico. 5. Flat-topped mountain in southwest Colorado that was a major center of Anasazi culture. 6. The Anasazi learned many of their building techniques from this tribe. Across: 1. Means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. 2. Circular underground room used for religious ceremonies. 3. A small hole in the floor of a kiva that represented the opening through which living things were believed (by the Anasazi) to have orginially come out of mother earth. 4. Spanish explorer of Mexico. 5. A picture that can sometimes represent an idea; pictorial writing. 6. Era in European history that produced a rebirth of interest in science, learning, and art. 7. Spanish explorer who led a great expedition into the American Southwest and beyond in 1540-42. 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

6 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Vocabulary Match Directions: Using the words at the bottom of the page, match the word with its correct definition. 1. All the concepts, habits, skills, art, institutions, etc. of a particular group of people at a certain time; a word derived from the Latin word cultura. 2. A powerful and cultured people who dominated Mexico starting around the 11th century. Their capital was Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. 3. The great cliff cities, such as those at Mesa Verde, were built during this period of Anasazi civilization. 4. The time in European history that followed the fall of Rome in 476 A.D.; a time marked by lack of innovation in art and learning. 5. Stone grinding tools used to make flour from dried corn. 6. Mythical beings who taught ceremonies to the Anasazi and gave them everything they needed to sustain life. Their spirits guided people out of their previous underground world into the world of light. 7. The mythical seven cities of gold; inspiration for Coronado s expedition into the American Southwest. 8. Ancient farming people of the southwestern United States who built great cities of stone and adobe; a word that means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. 9. A circular underground room found in Anasazi cities that was used for religious ceremonies and as a gathering place for men. 10. A system in which family descent is traced through the mother. 11. A construction technique in which woven sticks are covered with mud. 12. A center of great Anasazi culture located in northwestern New Mexico. Six large pueblos were built here starting about 850 A. D. Word List: A. Chaco Canyon G. Anasazi B. Culture H. Great Pueblo Period C. Kiva I. Wattle and daub D. Aztecs J. Dark Ages E. Mano and Metate K. Katchina F. Cibola L. Matrilineal 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com

7 Name THE ANASAZI: BUILDERS OF AMERICA S FIRST CITIES Quiz Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct answer. 1. The first permanent settlements were established by the Anasazi because they had taken up a new way of life based on. 2. The people of central Mexico are believed to have taught the Anasazi some of the construction techniques they used in building their cities at Chaco Canyon. 3. Name five domesticated plants and/or animals used by the Anasazi.,,,, 4. The circular underground rooms found in Anasazi towns that were used for religious ceremonies and as gathering places for men of the community were called. 5. Name four advantages the Spanish had over the native people of the Southwest in the mid-fifteen hundreds. 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. The Spanish explorer who led a huge expedition into the Southwest starting in 1540 was named. 7. Most of the cliff cities at Mesa Verde were built during a period of European history called --a time when great castles and cathedrals were being built. 8. Around the time of Christ, the Anasazi possessed neither pottery nor the bow and arrow. At this stage in the development of their civilization, they were known as. 9. The pueblos at Chaco Canyon were built (before or after) the collapse of the Roman Empire. 10. The three main reasons the Anasazi are believed to have abandoned their cities at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon were,, and. 1996 Chariot Productions Distributed by AGC/United Learning 1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706 www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: info@agcunited.com