The Anasazi
Long before Europe settled in North America, Native Americans dominated the land. From the Cherokee in the Mountains of North Carolina, to the Sioux in the North and the Navajo in the Southwest, Native American tribes were here hundreds of years before America was discovered. And during that time of isolation, these tribes had time to develop their own culture. And each tribe was different from the other. But the most memorable of these tribes was the Anasazi. This tribe was one of the oldest and largest in North America, stretching from before 1000 C.E to modern times. During this time, the Anasazi have evolved from a nomadic culture to a sedentary, agricultural based society. Their origins, history, culture, religion and art all …show more content…
In the early culture they were hunter/gatherers, living off of the land. Some of the plants they might have utilized were a variety of “agave, cacti, mesquite, amaranth, piñon, grapes, hackberry, walnuts, yucca, and many others whose fruit, bark, seeds, leaves, bark and roots were – and still are – used by native people of the region for food, or medicine, or to be processed and made into tools or other useful products” (Brody 33). Some of these plants, such as juniper, piñon, and yucca served multiple purposes to the Anasazi people. The juniper tree was utilized often by the Anasazi people. The berries were often dried for jewelry or used to flavor foods. Its wood was used often for making bows, and the bark was used for insulation. The piñon pine was also used. Other than eating the nuts, its sap was used to water proof baskets, fix broken pots, and even was burned so that the smoke could be inhaled as protection against evil spirits (Arnold 41). The most useful among these plants was the yucca. Every part of this plant was utilized by the Anasazi, from its fruit down to its roots. Another name for the broadleaf yucca was soapweed. It was called this because the roots of the plant could be used as soap. Even the leaves can be used. The leaves contain a strong fiber that, once removed from the tough outer layer, can be used for weaving items such as baskets, sandals, and animal snares. The Anasazi were also skilled hunters, using a weapon called an atlatl before bows took precedence. The architecture of these people is what is remembered most often. Their dwelling, now mostly ruins, are scattered about the Four Corners. The most memorable is the cliff dwelling of the Mesa Verde, with tall housing structures that were built under the cliff overhang. Even their art was distinctive. Their art consisted of intricately woven baskets,
Long before Europe settled in North America, Native Americans dominated the land. From the Cherokee in the Mountains of North Carolina, to the Sioux in the North and the Navajo in the Southwest, Native American tribes were here hundreds of years before America was discovered. And during that time of isolation, these tribes had time to develop their own culture. And each tribe was different from the other. But the most memorable of these tribes was the Anasazi. This tribe was one of the oldest and largest in North America, stretching from before 1000 C.E to modern times. During this time, the Anasazi have evolved from a nomadic culture to a sedentary, agricultural based society. Their origins, history, culture, religion and art all …show more content…
In the early culture they were hunter/gatherers, living off of the land. Some of the plants they might have utilized were a variety of “agave, cacti, mesquite, amaranth, piñon, grapes, hackberry, walnuts, yucca, and many others whose fruit, bark, seeds, leaves, bark and roots were – and still are – used by native people of the region for food, or medicine, or to be processed and made into tools or other useful products” (Brody 33). Some of these plants, such as juniper, piñon, and yucca served multiple purposes to the Anasazi people. The juniper tree was utilized often by the Anasazi people. The berries were often dried for jewelry or used to flavor foods. Its wood was used often for making bows, and the bark was used for insulation. The piñon pine was also used. Other than eating the nuts, its sap was used to water proof baskets, fix broken pots, and even was burned so that the smoke could be inhaled as protection against evil spirits (Arnold 41). The most useful among these plants was the yucca. Every part of this plant was utilized by the Anasazi, from its fruit down to its roots. Another name for the broadleaf yucca was soapweed. It was called this because the roots of the plant could be used as soap. Even the leaves can be used. The leaves contain a strong fiber that, once removed from the tough outer layer, can be used for weaving items such as baskets, sandals, and animal snares. The Anasazi were also skilled hunters, using a weapon called an atlatl before bows took precedence. The architecture of these people is what is remembered most often. Their dwelling, now mostly ruins, are scattered about the Four Corners. The most memorable is the cliff dwelling of the Mesa Verde, with tall housing structures that were built under the cliff overhang. Even their art was distinctive. Their art consisted of intricately woven baskets,