The Anasazi Peoples of the Southwest

Anasazi has come to mean "ancient people," although the word itself is Navajo, meaning "enemy ancestors." We should keep in mind that this is a non-Pueblo word for what were Pueblo people that has been adopted into archaeology and popular culture. The term was first applied to ruins of the Mesa Verde by Richard Wetherill, a rancher and trader who, in 1888-1889, was the first Anglo-American to explore the sites in that area.

Some modern Pueblo peoples object to the use of the term Anasazi, although there is still controversy among them on a native alternative. Some modern descendants of this culture often choose to use the term "pueblo peoples." The modern Hopi use the word "Hisatsinom" in preference to Anasazi. But even "Pueblo" is an adopted Spanish word for "villager."

In the first half of their history, the Anasazi distinguished themselves primarily through the artistry of their basketry, which they crafted from the fibers of plants. In the second half, they left their mark on a much grander scale, through the construction of perhaps the most stunning prehistoric communities in the United States. They erected imposing terraced houses of adobe (dried clay), which sometimes rose to five stories.

Descendants of the Anasazi include the Zuni and Hopi people. The Zuni lived in the area now known as western New Mexico and eastern Arizona. For hundreds of years, the Zuni were farmers and traders. The oldest continuously inhabited village in the United States is the Hopi community of Old Oraibi, located on a mesa in northern Arizona. This village came into being around 1050 A.D. when the Hopi migrated to this area.