Mesa Verde is associated with which ancient culture known for cliff dwellings?

Mesa Verde is associated with which ancient culture known for cliff dwellings?

• A. Anasazi
• B. Maya
• C. Inca
• D. Hohokam

Answer: (A)

Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde show the settlement style of the Anasazi, the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the Four Corners region. They built multi-story homes into alcoves in canyon walls using local sandstone and mortar, a design that protected inhabitants from the elements and offered defensible, close-knit communities. Cliff Palace and other structures at Mesa Verde are classic examples of this approach and reflect how these people organized their society and daily life. The other cultures listed were active in different regions with different building traditions: the Maya of Mesoamerica are famous for pyramids and complex calendars; the Inca of the Andes are known for vast road networks and stonework; the Hohokam in the Southwest are celebrated for extensive canal irrigation. Mesa Verde’s cliff-dwelling heritage is most closely connected to the Anasazi.

Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde show the settlement style of the Anasazi, the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the Four Corners region. They built multi-story homes into alcoves in canyon walls using local sandstone and mortar, a design that protected inhabitants from the elements and offered defensible, close-knit communities. Cliff Palace and other structures at Mesa Verde are classic examples of this approach and reflect how these people organized their society and daily life.

The other cultures listed were active in different regions with different building traditions: the Maya of Mesoamerica are famous for pyramids and complex calendars; the Inca of the Andes are known for vast road networks and stonework; the Hohokam in the Southwest are celebrated for extensive canal irrigation. Mesa Verde’s cliff-dwelling heritage is most closely connected to the Anasazi.