Early Basketmaker II period

The Early Basketmaker II period (1500 BCE – 50 CE) was an important time for the ancient Pueblo people. During this time, people in the northern American southwest began to grow maize, which is a type of corn. This was the first time they started farming, but they did not rely only on farming for food until much later, around 500 BCE.

This period came after what is called the Archaic–Early Basketmaker period and was followed by the Late Basketmaker II period. The Early Basketmaker II period marks the beginning of changes in how these ancient people lived, as they started to depend more on growing crops.

Basketmaker origin

The Basketmaker people came from many groups. Some came from the south and brought farming with them. Others were local people who started farming too. For example, people on the Mogollon Rim in New Mexico grew maize and lived in one place longer before the Basketmakers did.

Basketmakers II shared things like special tools, a certain way of making baskets, and other habits with people from the San Pedro stage of the Cochise tradition. When Archaic people became Basketmakers, they started growing maize, lived in one place more, and built houses in the ground. They also changed how they made baskets, the symbols they carved, how they buried their dead, and what they traded for.

Culture

The Early Basketmakers were mostly nomadic hunter-gatherers during this time. They moved around the Colorado Plateau in small groups, collecting wild plants and hunting animals. Their travels also allowed them to meet, trade, and sometimes marry with other tribes. Around 500 BCE, they began to grow maize, which started to change how often they moved.

Shelter

During this time, people lived in caves and other shelters dug into the ground. These homes were often lined with stone to keep them sturdy and safe.

Agriculture

Maize and squash were first grown more than 8,700 years ago in southwestern Mexico. Between 1000 and 2000 BCE, these crops appeared on the Colorado Plateau in what is now the United States. By 500 BCE, maize became a main food for the Basketmakers. Growing maize helped them control their food supply, as they could plant what they needed and store extra corn for later.

At first, growing maize did not change their nomadic lifestyle much. After planting seeds, they would still travel to find game and wild foods, returning only when their crops were ready to harvest. Because animals like deer, birds, and rodents would eat the crops, the Basketmakers had to stay nearby to protect them. After harvesting, they stored the seeds in special pits lined with stone and bark, sealed with adobe to keep them safe for the next year.

Sites

The earliest pit-house, dating from 405 to 75 BCE, was found in southwestern Colorado on the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservation. This house had a hearth to stay warm but no signs that people were growing food there. The site included En Medio projectile points, which belong to the Oshara tradition of the Archaic Southwest. Because this was a permanent or semi-permanent home, it might have been an early step toward farming in the Early Basketmaker II period.

Basketry

The Basketmakers made baskets using a special "two-rod and bundle" method from about 1 to 700 CE. They used thin, flexible twigs and yucca fibers to create their baskets. The fibers were coiled into a spiral shape and stitched together with thin strips of yucca leaves. These baskets helped people gather, store, and cook their food during a time when they were still moving around frequently.

Material goods

The Early Basketmakers had personal items such as weapons, clothing, and baskets. These items were important for their daily life and activities.

Cultural groups and periods

The cultural groups of this time were:

• Ancestral Puebloans – southern Utah, southern Colorado, northern Arizona and northern and central New Mexico
• Hohokam – southern Arizona
• Mogollon – southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico
• Patayan – western Arizona, California and Baja California

Notable Early Basketmaker II sites

Some important places from the Early Basketmaker II period include Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Sleeping Ute Mountain in Colorado, the Virgin Anasazi in the Colorado Plateau of Nevada, Utah and Arizona, and Zion National Park in Utah. These sites help us learn about the lives of ancient Pueblo people.