Ancestral Puebloans

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ancestral-puebloans

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the cultural period?Basketmaker III through Pueblo IV periods, approximately 100 CE to 1600 CE
2. What is the key technological innovations?Advanced dry-farming techniques, sophisticated masonry and construction, pottery production, and weaving
3. What did the Ancestral Puebloans build that makes them famous?They built cliff dwellings and multi‑story pueblos in the Four Corners region, using stone, timber, and mortar.
4. How did the Ancestral Puebloans grow their food?They grew maize, beans, and squash, using irrigation canals and check dams to water the crops.

Basketmaker Culture: An early cultural period in the Southwest preceding the Ancestral Puebloans, known for its sophisticated basketry and early agriculture.
Chaco Canyon: A major center of Ancestral Puebloan culture, renowned for its large, complex Great Houses and its role as a regional hub.
Pueblo Architecture: Communal villages characterized by multi-story, multi-room structures built from stone, adobe, and timber, often with plazas and kivas.
Great Abandonment: The period around the late 13th century when many Ancestral Puebloan settlements were depopulated, leading to migrations and consolidation.