What group of Native Americans lived in Arizona in the 10th and 11th centuries?

Question

I psychic told me that in a past life I was a Native American woman who was a cave dweller in Arizona during the 10th or 11th century. Could this have happened? What groups were in Arizona during that time period and did they live in caves. Also, she told me I was a story teller and known for my stories. Could it be possible or is there some flaw in her story? Very curious! Please help!

Answer 1

Read about the Anasazi.

Answer 2

There are three major cultures for the area and time: Hohokam, Mogollon, and Anaczai.

"The Hohokam peoples occupied a wide area of south-central Arizona from roughly Flagstaff south to the Mexican border. They are thought to have originally migrated north out of Mexico around 300 BC to become the most skillful irrigation farmers the Southwest ever knew."

http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_hoh...

The Mogollon  Indians existed as a culture and tribe between 300 BC and 1400 AD. The lived in the area we call the Four Corners of the American southwest.

As a people they left no true written records and there was no one else to write down their history. They are part of the Anasazi, Hohokum and Pueblo people. Each had a distinct culture but with some general common characteristics

The term Anasazi comes from the Navaho Language and means "Ancient Enemies." The Pueblo Native Americans, who are descended from the Anasazi, prefer the term "Ancient Ones." The Anasazi lived in the American southwest, around the "Four Corners" area. That's the place Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet. Native Americans settled in the area at least 12,000 years ago. The began to use agriculture around 2500 - 3000 BC.

The Anasazi culture is dated between 100 AD to 1300 AD. It's demise is linked to a large drought that devastated the American southwest. Prior to these dates is what's termed the "Archaic period" when the Anasazi people lived as nomadic hunter and gatherers.

As farmers the people were supreme in growing corn beans, and squash

. They added to their food supply by hunting.

The Anasazi were the original cliff dwellers. They constructed their homes high up on the cliff sides with limited access. This form of housing was done later in their culture when migrating tribes such as the Apache and Navaho competed for the limited resources in the area.

The Culture is now divided into stages. The two main ones are the Basketmaker and Pueblo. Each stage has a number of intermediate ones. The Pueblo stages can be exactly dated. In fact it can be determined just how many years a pueblo was occupied.

In the Basketmaker stage, we know the Anasazi first lived pit houses. These are holes in the ground and are roofed over with wood, brush or hides. Houses were rectangular, projected above the ground and were entered through a hole in the roof. This hole also was used to let smoke out of the home. Normally a small tunnel was dug in the side of the house. This lead up to the surface and was used to ventilate the house. The people were farmers, growing corn, along with practicing hunting and gathering. They received the name "basketmakers" from the incredibly fine baskets that they made and used.

About 700 AD they changed their lifestyle and began to collect in larger settlements. They built pueblos, above ground buildings that were normally placed on high ground. These structures tend to be square and blocky in appearance. Most entry is by means of ladders. Each room is interconnected. This lifestyle differs from the other tribes in the area. Navahos, for example, prefer to live in widely separated dwellings call hogans. A number of pueblos were constructed during this period. The pueblo of Oraibi, Arizona was founded in the twelfth century. It is the oldest still inhabited town in the United States. Pueblo Benito, in New Mexico, is estimated to have had 800 rooms, 1,200 people and stood four and five stories high.

At the end of their culture, the pueblos were replaced by cliff dwellings. This appears due to the increased need for defense. The culture's end coincides to a twenty year period of drought. Where the Anasazi people dispersed to isn't know. Today they are considered to be the ancestors of the Zunis, Hopis, Pimas, and Papago tribes.

Much of the exact dating and information about the weather is due to the science of dendrochronology, tree rings. Basically, when the weather is wet, the tree rings are wide, showing rapid growth. During droughts, the rings are narrow. As the weather changes, it creates a unique series of rings. Science has created an "endless tree" for the Southwest. This shows the weather patterns back some 2,000 years. Given a sample, the actual dates that the tree lived and died can be established. Cores taken from the wood rafters of cliff houses can thereby be dated.

When the Spanish arrived, they first believed reports that the pueblos were the "Seven Cities of Gold." They conquered the Pueblo Peoples but were thrown out brief in a great revolt. The Zunis, Hopis, Prima, and Papago tribes still live in pueblos.

Answer 3

Anasazi were around that time, but they were also around much earlier.  The Pueblos are decendents of the Anasazi.

The Hohokam lived in the Phoenix area around that time, and much earlier.  Unfortunately, there are two problems with that.  One, I don't know of many caves around the Phoenix area, and two, Hohokam literally means = those who have left.  Safe to say we don't know much about them.

Check the Sinagua indians as well.

Answer 4

Also check out

ancient Pueblo people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_Verde_...

Only cliff dweller lived in caves around there to my memory full time that is. And bounderies changed over the years so you would be looking at 3 to 4 "states"