The Pueblo II Period: A.D. 900 to 1150

Food

Corn, beans, and squash. Photos by Joyce Heuman Kramer; copyright Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.

Corn, beans, and squash formed the foundation of the Pueblo II diet.

Turkey. Pen-and-ink drawing by Lee R. Schmidlap, Jr.

Domesticated turkey was an increasingly important source of animal protein during the Pueblo II period.

During the Pueblo II period, people continued to rely heavily on domesticated corn, beans, and squash, and they ate more domesticated turkey than they had during earlier periods. This ever-increasing reliance on agriculture, however, made the people more vulnerable to drought and other climatic changes that affected the amount of food, especially corn, that could be grown. So, beginning in the Pueblo II period, people began to construct reservoirs, checkdams, and farming terraces in an effort to capture and conserve water for agricultural use. Checkdams and terraces were used not only for water control, but for soil conservation as well, because they prevented the topsoil from washing away.

Wild plants and animals continued to round out the Pueblo diet during this time. In fact, archaeologists think that Pueblo people probably had an efficient strategy that combined hunting, gathering, and farming. Corn, bean, and squash plants would have attracted deer, rabbits, and rodents to agricultural fields, making them easy prey for anyone tending the crops. And certain edible weeds that thrive in the disturbed soil of gardens could have easily been harvested during routine weeding.

Read about Goodman Lake, an ancient Pueblo reservoir that still fills with water today!


Introduction	Paleoindian Archaic Basketmaker II Basketmaker III Pueblo I Pueblo II Pueblo III Post-Pueblo Historic Today Bibliography ● Take Our Survey ●
Overview Food Housing Artifacts	The Pueblo II Period: A.D. 900 to 1150 Food Corn, beans, and squash formed the foundation of the Pueblo II diet. Domesticated turkey was an increasingly important source of animal protein during the Pueblo II period. During the Pueblo II period, people continued to rely heavily on domesticated corn, beans, and squash, and they ate more domesticated turkey than they had during earlier periods. This ever-increasing reliance on agriculture, however, made the people more vulnerable to drought and other climatic changes that affected the amount of food, especially corn, that could be grown. So, beginning in the Pueblo II period, people began to construct reservoirs, checkdams, and farming terraces in an effort to capture and conserve water for agricultural use. Checkdams and terraces were used not only for water control, but for soil conservation as well, because they prevented the topsoil from washing away. Wild plants and animals continued to round out the Pueblo diet during this time. In fact, archaeologists think that Pueblo people probably had an efficient strategy that combined hunting, gathering, and farming. Corn, bean, and squash plants would have attracted deer, rabbits, and rodents to agricultural fields, making them easy prey for anyone tending the crops. And certain edible weeds that thrive in the disturbed soil of gardens could have easily been harvested during routine weeding. Read about Goodman Lake, an ancient Pueblo reservoir that still fills with water today!
Acknowledgments \| Illustration credits \| To borrow, cite, or request permission \| Please take our survey! Title page for Peoples of the Mesa Verde Region Copyright © 2011 by Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. All rights reserved.