Location of Ancestral Puebloan dwellings in the world (continent of America)
Ancestral Puebloan dwellings, located across the American Southwest, were built before 1492 CE and served as major cultural centers for the Pueblo peoples. The dwellings included defensive positions and were scattered throughout the region.
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Ancestral Puebloans spanned various states and regions in the American Southwest, living north of other cultures and south of the Fremont culture. There are currently 21 federally recognized pueblos in the United States, including the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico.
The dwellings of the Pueblo peoples can be found in states such as New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, as well as in Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. Archaeologists have identified three main periods of occupation by Pueblo peoples: Pueblo I, Pueblo II, and Pueblo III. Pueblo buildings were constructed with stone, featuring windows facing south and unique shapes. Pottery became more versatile, and water management techniques emerged during this time.
The Pueblo II period witnessed an increase in population and the construction of two-story dwellings made of stone masonry. The Pueblo III period saw a significant community change as people moved into community centers at Pueblos Canyon heads or cliff dwellings. Pueblo dwellings were characterized by their distinctive architecture, including the use of adobe, T-shaped doors, and irrigation techniques.
Remnants of a roadway system that connected pueblos throughout the Southwest can still be found in New Mexico and Arizona today. Various types of dwellings were used by the Pueblo peoples, such as pueblos (multistory adobe buildings), great houses, pit houses, cliff dwellings, and jacal structures.
Facts
- Ancestral Puebloan dwellings were major cultural centers for the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest.
- There are 21 federally recognized pueblos in the United States today.
- The dwellings can be found in several American states and Mexican states.
- Pueblo I, Pueblo II, and Pueblo III are the three main periods of occupation by Pueblo peoples.
- Pueblo buildings were constructed with stone, featuring unique shapes and south-facing windows.
- The Pueblo II period witnessed an increase in population and the construction of two-story dwellings.
- The Pueblo III period saw a significant community change as people moved into community centers at Pueblos Canyon heads or cliff dwellings.
- Pueblo dwellings were characterized by distinctive architecture, including the use of adobe and T-shaped doors.
- A roadway system connected pueblos throughout the Southwest.
- Various types of dwellings, such as pueblos, great houses, pit houses, cliff dwellings, and jacal structures, were used by the Pueblo peoples.
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