9781422286197

13

Southwest: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

the buildings. Some scholars believe the roads linked to sacred, ceremonial sites. Others say they served as trade routes to Mexico, 600 miles away. A severe drought struck the Southwest around 1130. By 1150, the buildings constructed with advanced masonry techniques were abandoned. People dispersed to the east and to the south. Late arrivals like the Navajo and

developed the Chaco Culture in the mid- to late-800s. The site became a center for their civilization ’s econo- my, administration, and ceremonies. Chaco’s monumental construction is described as North American Indians’ greatest architectural feat. One building stood five stories. It occupied more than two acres of land and provided more than 2,500 rooms. Roads 30 feet wide radiated out from

People have lived in Acoma Sky City, built on a 367-foot tall mesa (a steep-sided, flat-topped hill), for nearly 1,000 years, making it the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America.