It is said about the American Southwest that more people lived there 1000 years ago than reside there today.  Although it is a tough place to live, especially as hunter-gatherers, the area had water and game and supported some farming thus allowing peoples to flourish. Most of those who lived there have come to be known as the "Anasazi", a word that means "Ancient Enemy" in Navajo, who are the people who came to 'inherit' a large portion of this area.  It is estimated that the Anasazi left the area approximately in the 1300 or 1400s.  It is unknown where they went or why they left, though drought is almost certainly the cause.  Some believe they are the ancestors of the Hopi tribe.  Not even the Hopi can verify this. 

I have become fascinated with the dwellings and other structures these people carved out of the sandstone cliffs of the area. I have visited more than a couple of dozen out of many hundreds of these sites, usually called 'ruins' due to their current condition.  I have also been amazed by the drawings called pictographs (when made with natural dyes of some kind) and petroglyphs (when they are chipped into the rock by a sharp object) that these folks left behind.  I have tried to bring back photographs which demonstrate the beauty and character of these ancient dwelling sites and drawings.  Take a step 1000 years into history and view this portfolio.
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