Chapter 1
The earthen skyscrapers of the Mississippians
Chapter 2
Stone palaces in the desert cliffs
Chapter 3
Ancient science, astronomy, and alignment
Chapter 4
The continent-spanning trade networks
YOUR GOAL
Master of Mounds and mesas: The ancient megacities of North America
Ch 2 · Stone palaces in the desert cliffs
sonia Desert Cliff Palaces
Built in the cliffs, built in the cliffs! The winter sun warms our canyon home!
sonia By 1300 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans abandoned their grand stone cities due to prolonged droughts and social changes, moving south.
sonia In the late 1190s CE, Ancestral Puebloans moved from mesa tops into spectacular sandstone alcoves carved into canyon walls.
BETA
sonia Build stone cliff cities to discover how Ancestral Puebloans engineered sprawling Southwestern communities.
Fun Fact
Ancient apartments: Pueblo Bonito stood as the largest residential building in North America until the late 1800s!
Glossary
ancestral puebloans (noun)
An ancient Native American culture centered on the Four Corners region of the United States. They built complex, multi-story stone cities in Chaco Canyon before abandoning them around 1150 CE.
An ancient Native American culture centered on the Four Corners region of the United States. They built complex, multi-story stone cities in Chaco Canyon before abandoning them around 1150 CE.
Quiz
What is the name of the largest Ancestral Puebloan 'great house' in Chaco Canyon, featuring over 600 rooms?
Quiz
Why did the Ancestral Puebloans build their homes in cliff alcoves rather than on flat ground after 1190 CE?
Quiz
What is the spiritual significance of the 'sipapu,' the small hole found in the floor of a kiva?
Quiz
Which modern Native American groups are the direct descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans?