Who were the anasazi - Essay Example

The Anasazi Chapter of the book, “A Thief of Time” introduces the Anasazi. Tony Hillerman describes the Anasazi as an ancient Indian culture that resided in Southwest America about 1200 B.C. Also known as, the Ancestral Puebloans, the Anasazi inhabited the Four Corners region in Southwest America (Hillerman 4). Indeed, many anthropologists agree that the Anasazi inhabited Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico that define the modern day Four Corners. Anasazi culture defined the prehistoric Native American civilization.

The book establishes Chaco Canyon as the focus point of the Anasazi culture. The Anasazi lived in masonry villages that hosted sacred places where they offered sacrifices to their gods. Indeed, this cultural group had many gods. The masonry villages occupied the edges of Chaco Canyons. Apparently, access to the masonry villages was via rock climbing or by a rope. The Anasazi were farmers where they planted beans and other cereals in the dry land where corn was the stable food. They stored water in ditches that enabled them to survive during the dry seasons.

Additionally, they were hunters and gatherers who sought to safeguard their families from drought-related effects. However, very little information about the Anasazi culture is available since archeologists can only find indirect evidence regarding Anasazi’s life. Indeed, archaeologists argue about various aspects of the Anasazi culture. For example, nobody can explain why the Anasazi deserted the Four Corners. Nevertheless, archaeologists agree that the Anasazi left many dwelling sites especially cliff dwellings.

Works CitedHillerman, Tony. A Thief of Time. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print.