Literature
4th
Essay
From the scattered references made about
the ancient Anasazi Indians in Tony Hillerman's A Thief of Time, one can
identify several cultural characteristics of this mysterious tribe. One can
discover how they lived, where they lived, their religion, simple day to day
activities, and mysteries about their culture. Even though many references are
made about this tribe, people will never know the truth, for there is an
unsolved mystery to why the Anasazi disappeared. Even to this day no one knows
what happened to them.
The location of over 100,000 Anasazi sites
have been found outside of Bluff, Utah along the San Juan river. Anasazi
Indians were very picky as to where they lived. They chose to dwell in cliffs
faced to catch the winter sun and shaded in summer, with enough floodplain to
grow something and a source of water. These two story stone dwellings in cliffs
were built large enough to fit 30 people in them. There is one odd fact about
this: the Anasazi supposedly carried roof beams more than 50 miles from the
forests of Mt. Taylor and Chuskas. These Indians lived as small scattered
families of hunters and seed gatherers. They developed agriculture, learned to
make baskets and irrigate.
The Anasazi religion was very different
compared to other religions of the world. Anasazi Indians chose to bury their
dead either in the trash or against walls. The ghosts of the Anasazi were
feared widely by most Navajos for some reason. The oddest thing about the
Anasazi is that they had some kind of infatuation with a humpbacked, flute
playing man named Kokopelli, or the Watersprinkler. On many walls all over the
area, a drawing of Kokopelli can be found. These Indians also drew wide
shouldered forms called Kackina Spirits, and a "Big Chief" looking
out from a red stained shield.
There were many odd things about this
tribe, such as, "Why did these people disappear after being around for
over 1,000 years?" No one knows where they went, but we do know they built
roads. They didn't have wheels nor pack animals. We also know they lived in a
land of little wood and water. The
Anasazi made very exquisite pots, but they made very odd drawings on them. Some
pots were of a deep rounded form, painted on the interior in rose with wavy pale
"ghost lines". They had a geometric pattern enclosing two interlocked
spirals, with two hatched, serrated rectangles below the rim. Because of the
oddness and rarity of these pots, some were priced higher than $15,000. Some of
the Weirdest things about these Indians is that they had too many fingers an
extra tooth on the right lower side, and a hole in the lower jaw.
As said in the introduction, no one knows
what happened to these Indians. Many believe they just disappeared, or were
abducted by aliens, but no one knows, and probably will never know what
happened. Regardless of what scientists find, nothing can prove the truth,
except for the truth. So until the truth is found, the Anasazi remain to be one
of the most mysterious tribes ever known to man.
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