History of the Pueblo Indians (cont.)

The theory that enemy tribes had been taking over Anasazi territory is also interesting, but makes little sense since any culture wishing to inhabit the region would have had to have developed considerable agricultural skills, to be able to farm the arid land, and most conquering tribes were better skilled as hunters than farmers. Still, careful study of the Pueblos shows that the settlements were built with a certain degree of concern for the safety of their inhabitants, and that the Anasazi were prepared to deal with invaders. Besides, if another tribe had taken over the settlement, wouldn't there be evidence of their occupancy?

All in all, it's really difficult to tell what exactly happened to the Anasazi, and why they left the homes which they had so painstakingly built. As researchers discover more and more evidence which helps them piece together the tribe's fragmented history, what we were once very certain of is now being re-examined and questioned. While the drought scenario is most probable, why would there be findings that indicate earlier departures from the Pueblos? Perhaps a thorough study of archaeological findings and a better understanding of the present-day Pueblo Indian culture will one day result in solving this ancient enigma.

During their mass exodus, the Anasazi relocated to their present-day settlements further down south, joining other tribes of Ancestral Puebloans. There, multi-cultural influences had their effect on social interaction, government, religion, and most importantly, language. The tribe developed their language out of four major influences, Uto-Aztecan, Eastern and Western Keresan, Aztec-Tanoan, and Zuni, which also served as a basis for the many other sub-dialects invented during the course of Pueblo Indian cultural evolution. The four tribes of Eastern Pueblo Indians are the Keres, the Tewa, Tiwa, and Towa, while the Western Pueblos are represented by two tribes, the Hopi,and the Zuni; the Hopi are believed to be the direct descendent of the Anasazi, but are not considered Pueblo Indians, but rather and offshoot of the tribe.

Pueblo Indians of the late 15th century did not inhabit villages built upon naturally formed caves, but houses made of adobe bricks and plaster. The Pueblos were built close to one another in similar fashion to, but more spaced apart than those of their ancestors, but since they weren't protected by canyon walls, they were less structurally safe from the elements and possible assailants. The Pueblo Indians were also farmers, as the Anasazi had been before them, growing pumpkins, squash, melons, and corn. They formed peaceful communities, and were welcoming of the Spanish settlers who had just arrived in Rio Grande area. The Spanish contributed to the Pueblo Indian way of life by introducing horses and livestock, and crafts such as metallurgy, while the Pueblo Indians influenced the way the Spanish built their homes. But this peaceful coexistence wasn't without its ups and downs, as the problems of their ancestors began to plague the Pueblos.

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