Anasazi (Archaic period people)

The Anasazi, also known as Ancestral Puebloans, were ancient Native American people who inhabited the southwestern United States during the Archaic and later periods. They are best known for their remarkable stone dwellings, such as Cliff Palace in Colorado and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. During the Archaic period, around 8000 to 500 BCE, they developed complex ways of hunting, foraging, and later, farming corn, beans, and squash. Their society laid the foundation for advanced Pueblo cultures, demonstrating sophisticated architecture, pottery, and social organization adapted to their desert environment.