Houses in New Mexico

Early Americans-Anasazi

​The Anasazi

​The Anasazi were located in North America​, just like the Mound Builders and the Inuit. They found home in Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde (now Mesa Verde National Park) is located in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, with part of the region in Colorado. This area was known as the "dry four corners." The environment was hot and dry.

​The Anasazi

The Anasazi were known as "cliff dwellers." ​They built their homes in cliffs to protect themselves from enemies and the elements. Although they lived in a hot, dry climate, they learned to grow corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins to survive. They share growing corn in common with the Mound Builders.

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​Because they lived in a hot, dry climate, they needed to store water when it did rain. They used ditches and canals to move water to crops to make farming possible. The Anasazi built the first irrigation system.

​Irrigation means movement of water to crops.

​The Anasazi

​KIVAS were underground temples built into the ground so that the Anasazi could pray. They worshipped a "Great Spirit."

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​They lived in big groups.