Why Study Basketmaker III?

Because it was a pivotal time in Pueblo history—one that saw the introduction of pottery, cultivated beans, and the bow and arrow, as well as a dramatic increase in population in the Mesa Verde region. Archaeologists believe that the population boom was largely the result of immigration into the area, though where the immigrants came from remains the subject of much research and debate.

Because it saw the earliest substantial occupation of the Mesa Verde region by Pueblo peoples. Although early corn and squash agriculturalists lived in the region during the preceding Basketmaker II period, their settlements are relatively few—and are scattered primarily in the eastern and western portions of the region. There is very little evidence of Basketmaker II peoples living in the central Mesa Verde region, where Crow Canyon conducts most of its research.

Because studying the Basketmaker III period allows us to continue investigating two of our long-term research interests: Pueblo community development and migration. In recent years, our research has focused on communities of the Pueblo III period (A.D. 1150–1300) and the migration of large numbers of people out of the Mesa Verde region. With the Basketmaker Communities Project, our focus has shifted to early community development and migration into the region.

Learn more about the Basketmaker III period.