Ancestral Puebloans facts for kids

Cliff Palace, a cliff dwelling built by the Ancestral Puebloans. It is in the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado

The Ancestral Puebloans were an ancient Native American culture that lived in what is today the southeastern United States. Their settlements were in the present states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Their culture ceased about 1600 AD. They were called the Anasazi by the Navajos.

Their people left remains of some large and important places. Two of these have been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Remains found by archaeologists show knowledge of pottery, weaving and irrigation. They also drew symbols.

Images for kids

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  Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park

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  White House Ruins, Canyon de Chelly National Monument

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  Horseshoe Tower in the snow, Hovenweep National Monument

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  Map of Ancestral Pueblo and neighboring cultures: Hohokam and Mogollon

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  Major Ancestral Puebloan sites in the Four Corners area

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  Pueblo Bonito, the largest of the Chacoan Great Houses, stands at the foot of Chaco Canyon's northern rim.

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  Multistory dwellings at Bandelier: Rock wall foundations and beam holes and "cavates" carved into volcanic tuff remain from upper floors.

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  Mancos Pitcher with Black on White Geometric Designs, Ancestral Pueblo, 900–1300 CE, Brooklyn Museum

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  Casa Rinconada, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico

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  Doorways, Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

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  Precontact roads and great houses in the San Juan Basin

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  Plan of entire Spruce Tree House from above, cut from laser scan data collected by a CyArk/National Park Service partnership

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  Laser scan section of the four-story Square Tower House, data collected by a CyArk/National Park Service partnership

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  Section view of Kiva A in Mesa Verde's Fire Temple, cut from laser scan data collected by a CyArk/National Park Service partnership. Since Fire Temple was at least partially built to conform to the dimensions of its cliff alcove, it is neither round in form nor truly subterranean like other structures defined as kivas.

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  Chaco Culture bowl, 11th to 13th centuries, Pueblo Alto, Chaco Canyon

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  Ancestral Puebloan ruins in Dark Canyon Wilderness, Utah

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  Pecos Glazeware bowl, Pecos National Historical Park

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  Boy in doorway, Balcony House, Mesa Verde National Park

See also

In Spanish: Anasazi para niños