Mysteries of the Anasazi - An Introductory Essay (Part 1)

Around 800 A.D. evolution had produced some highly intelligent and creative humans who inhabited the area now known as southeastern Nevada, and the Four Corners region of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. These ancient humans were called the Anasazi. For 200 years, the Anasazis' Pueblo Grande territory dominated the area in both growth and sophistication.

Historians believe that the Anasazi built intricate apartment-dwellings and were expert traders of turquoise gemstones, handwoven clothes, and pottery.

The Anasazi domain was centered in New Mexico's Chaco Canyon. The canyon's natural springs and fertile soil contributed to the tribe's population growth, as did the idea exchange between the Anasazis and the exotic cultures with whom they interacted.

But by the year 1000 A.D., the Pueblo Grande metropolitan center of commerce and growth was gone -- the Anasazi had vanished. And all that remained was the empty shell of a once-thriving civilization.

In the 1930s, the area near Las Vegas, Nevada once inhabited by the Anasazi, received national attention. The proposed Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) and the waters of Lake Mead were expected to inundate the priceless archaeological finds. Some of the artifacts were moved and are now housed in The Lost City Museum at Overton, Nevada, about an hour's drive from Las Vegas.

There has been much speculation on why the Anasazi vanished. Some archaeologists believe that a severe drought forced the tribe to move to a more inhabitable area. Other theories suggest that malaria-laden mosquitoes, overpopulation, or the aggression of neighboring tribes decimated the ancient Anazasi.

But in fact, no one knows. These ancient tribespeople left the world in a quandry, wondering about them and their existence. The Anasazi left behind petroglyphs or rock-carvings, scattered throughout the five-state territory, that continue to perplex the experts even today.

Be sure to read Part Two, "The Chaco Phenomenon, Unanswered Questions".

Karal Ayn Barnett is a freelance writer living in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Note: The story on this page is Copyright © 2000, by Karal Ayn Barnett. This story may not be reproduced, reprinted, or used in any way without the permission of the author.)