The national parks service and others are now applying the name Pueblo Dwellers to the aboriginal people who are commonly called the Anasazi (Ah-nah-sah-zee). This is a Navajo term for "Ancient Enemies" or "Ancient Ones." The Hopi call these people Hisatsinom for "Those-who-came-before." Other names used by non-native residents of the region are Moki or Moqui, a Hopi word meaning "the Dead". Of course, we do not know what the people who lived in this region from before 1 AD to 1275 AD called themselves.

In about 1200 AD the Anasazi had completely disappeared from the major dwelling-towns like those at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. The most commonly advanced theory is a century long drought in an already arid region. Other theories are they the Anasazi were driven out by latecomers like the Navajo. After examining the evidence, David Roberts concludes that the drought plus the need to defend scarce resources from nomadic aboriginals let do the adandonment of the sites.

But where did the Anasazi go? Most compelling theory is that they were simply absorbed by the greater and safer city-pueblo of the Hopi, Zuni and other pueblo peoples. In short, they didn't disappear. Much like present day farmers in rural America and Canada, they moved to the cities.

The chronology of the Anasazi and those who came after in the 4-corners region is as follows.

For more information search the internet with the terms:

Anasazi, Hisatsinom, Pueblo Dwellers