The Vanishing of the Ancestral Puebloans
A sophisticated Native American civilization built elaborate multi-story cliff dwellings across the American Southwest, then abandoned every single one of them within a few generations — and archaeologists are still piecing together exactly why.
The Ancestral Puebloans (formerly known as the Anasazi) built sophisticated multi-story cliff dwellings and communities across the American Southwest, particularly notable at sites like Mesa Verde, before a significant, widespread regional abandonment occurring primarily during the late 13th century. Archaeologists studying the abandonment have proposed a combination of severe drought, resource depletion, and social conflict as likely contributing factors, though the precise relative significance of each remains genuinely disputed.
- →The Ancestral Puebloans developed sophisticated multi-story cliff dwelling communities across the Four Corners region of the American Southwest, with particularly well-preserved examples at sites including Mesa Verde in present-day Colorado.
- →Tree-ring dating and other archaeological evidence indicates a severe, sustained regional drought occurred during the second half of the 13th century (roughly 1276-1299 AD), coinciding closely with the period of widespread abandonment.
- →Archaeological evidence from some sites shows signs of increased social conflict during the abandonment period, including some evidence interpreted by researchers as indicating warfare or violence between different communities.
- →The Ancestral Puebloans are the confirmed direct ancestors of several contemporary Puebloan peoples, including the Hopi and various Rio Grande Pueblo communities, who maintain their own oral traditions regarding their ancestors' historical migrations.