Cliff+Dwellers

Cliff Dwellers are Native Americans who had homes in the cliffs of southwestern American states of the four corners region, like Colorado River in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. In Colorado the cliff dwellings still remain and are being preserved in a national park. Their culture was based on Anasazi culture, which translates to basket makers.The Cliff Dwellers thrived from around 900 AD to 1450 AD. The dwellings weren't founded by outside people until the mid 1800's. It astounded many who found them. The usually cliff Dwelling community lived in the cliffs that were found around them. They would build clay houses and ellaborate architectural buildings for that time. They would build ceremonial rooms called kivas where healing rites were conducted or prayers for rain, good luck, or good crops that year were made. They would also build houses on top of already existing houses that had ladders scaling along and up them. In 1400 the Cliff Dwellers abandoned their cliff homes for reasons that are unexplained. Some have theorized to find more resources since the resources around the cliffs may have begun to become depleted. so to survive the Cliff dwellers left their cliffs in search of food. They then constructed mud brick houses with similar archtecture to those in the cliffs accept now they are called abobes or pueblos. now the people are also called pueblo dwellers. When Spanish conquistadors traveled west they encountered the Pueblo Dwellers. OVER A MIMIC CLIFF, // Chicago Daily Tribune;  //  Jun 30, 1893; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849 - 1986) pg. 1 A Unique Bar, // Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963);  //  Jul 9, 1893; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849 - 1986) pg. 1  SIX NATIONS TODAY**.** //  Chicago Daily;  //  Jul 3, 1893; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849 - 1986) pg. 1

This is a drawing of a classic Pueblo cliff dwelling on the southern edge of America. The structures are carved into the faces of mountains and hills and are very high above the ground. Often gave the people living inside an advantage against rival tribes and prtoected them form harsh weather.

Cliff Dwellers used ladders to descent and ascend from the tops of their homes in order to keep intruders and offenders away. This is a more modern picture of the cliff dwellers, who have moved out of their cliffs into pueblo dwellings. Cliff Dwellers are the ancestors of the pueblo people.

This is an animal carving made by the Cliff Dwellers.

Works Cited:

__Creation art__. 1 Dec. 2008 . "Cliff Dwellers lived in stone houses." Cartoon. __How Stuff Works__. 12 Dec. 2008 http://history.howstuffworks.com/native-american-history/cliff-dwellers.htm. Newton, Harry L. __The Cliff-Dwellers__. 1904. New York. __Webster Education__. 12 Dec. 2008 . Sharkus, Laurie. __Khnemu Studio__. 2006. 12 Dec. 2008 <[|http://http://www.khnemustudio.com/images/img413.jpg]>.