MESA VERDE PART 3 - FROM HUNTING & GATHERING TO FARMING (200AD-750AD)

The dioramas developed for the hunting and gathering phase for the Anasazi Indians (Anasazi = "unknown tribe) show small groups hunting buffalo in the canyon floors and living on the floor of small caves. Survival was a challenge, particularly during the extreme cold months of winter. Although there is some debate about when the Anasazi first appeared in the Mesa Verde landscape, uncovered evidence indicates that the hunting& gathering in the canyon sand on the mesa summits was occurring by 200AD. Now the history of settlement and change begin. By 600 AD the Anasazi had started digging pit house in the floor of caves. By 750 AD their diet (discovered by sifting and dating materials found in refuse tips) had improved. Their life, though still precarious, had become more sustainable. This change and evolution continues in part 4. There is much more to discover.