Ancestral Puebloan Cliff Dwelling Construction Period (1180s)

Name: Ancestral Puebloan Cliff Dwelling Construction Period (1180s)
Start: 1181
End: 1190

Type Event Region North America Time 1181–1190

In the 1180s, Ancestral Puebloans in the American Southwest entered the late Pueblo III period, building cliff dwellings and stone settlements on a l…

Timeline

1181–1185Mesa Verde plateau · ColoradoArchaeological evidence shows that in the 1180s Ancestral Puebloan communities moved from mesa tops and canyon floors into cliff alcoves. Possible drivers included worsening drought, resource competition, and social tension; cliff dwellings offered both defensive and microclimatic advantages, making them preferred sites for population reorganization.
1186–1190Four Corners · Four CornersLarge numbers of cliff stone houses and multi-room settlements appeared at Mesa Verde, in the Chaco culture influence zone, and in southeastern Utah. Building techniques used sandstone masonry, timber beam supports, and plastered surfaces; pottery styles show both continuity with Chaco cultural traditions and local variation, heralding the architectural peak of Pueblo III.

Sources

Mesa Verde National Park https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/27/
Ancestral Pueblo culture https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ancestral-Pueblo-culture