The Ancestral Pueblo culture, particularly manifest in the Chaco Canyon region, showcases some of the most well-known archaeological sites in North America, including various Great Houses. Constructed between 850 and 1150 CE, these structures reflect a complex societal network across a vast area. Post-1150 CE, the region faced a halt in construction and significant population decrease, likely due to environmental and social pressures. The subsequent migratory patterns of the people remain a subject of ongoing debate, with particular focus on regions like the Northern Rio Grande as potential resettlement areas.
Chaco Canyon was the centre of an extensive political and social network of more than 200 Great House communities covering an area larger than modern England.
Many ancient pueblos have become the focus of US National Parks, Historic Parks or Monuments, including several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
After around 1150 ce, major construction ceased in Chaco Canyon and the area was largely depopulated for reasons still debated, such as drought and overexploitation.
Where Chacoan populations resettled around 1150 ce remains a debated topic within Southwestern Archaeology and Indigenous communities alike.
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