functions, others, such as Anasazi great houses, were massive multi-purpose structures. Because great houses from Chaco Canyon are so well preserved, it is possible to have a decent understanding of the structure of Anasazi architecture for analysis. A close examination of the innovative Anasazi great house architecture of the Chaco Canyon region reveals its utilitarian value. Chaco Canyon, located in northwest New Mexico, is full of plateaus and canyons. Though the area may appear unsuitable for
that range 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 102 degrees with 60 degree fluctuations in one day. The Anasazi culture not only survived in this hostile environment they flourished, and evolved many adaptations such as flood plain farming, advanced irrigation systems, storage of subsistence, diverse cropping systems, and when all else failed migration. Over time the Anasazi went from a highly mobile culture to a sedentary one because of their reliance on the production of maize. The Anasazi leaned to construct
members. A geology class would have been more relevant if we were able to have seen First Mesa at Hopi, but on our other field trips, a southwestern geology class would have been helpful. In particular, our visits to Window Rock, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, and Mesa Verde, as well as our drives to the various places would have been enhanced by a geologist pointing out different factors for the variety of geological features scattered across the southwest. On our previous trips, I questioned the