Page "Ancient Pueblo Peoples" Paragraph 67

Stress on the environment may have been reflected in the social structure, leading to conflict and warfare.

Near Kayenta, Arizona, Jonathan Haas of the Field Museum in Chicago has been studying a group of Ancient Pueblo villages that relocated from the canyons to the high mesa tops during the late 13th century.

The only reason Haas can see for a move so far from water and arable land is defense against enemies.

He asserts that isolated communities relied on raiding for food and supplies, and that internal conflict and warfare became common in the 13th century.