Key Characteristics Of The Anasazi Civilization

Civilization Characteristics

According to Feder (2014), there are seven characteristics of a civilization. These characteristics include food surplus, large or dense populations, social stratification, a formal government, labor specialization, record keeping, and monumental works. (Feder, 2014). Evidence of these civilization characteristics can be seen in the archeological record.

Although each of the seven may not always be immediately apparent at every archeological site, research shows that these are the key characteristics of civilizations. Looking at the Anasazi, several of these characteristics can be immediately recognized. Possibly the three characteristics that are most easily identified in the Anasazi civilization are dense populations, labor specialization, and food storage.

Dense populations are evident in the Anasazi by the construction style of the Anasazi Great House. These

As can be seen among the remains in the Great House’s, the level and amount of pottery created would have required a labor specialization in pottery as well (Larson, 1996). Many ancient civilizations built large storage buildings or other storage structures for surplus food storage. However, the Anasazi approached food storage in a much different way. Pottery was used extensively for cooking, but it was also the Anasazi’s primary means of surplus food storage. Many artifacts have been found that suggest the Anasazi would often dry their food surplus in the sun, or stone-grind foods, using grinding stones. Then the ground or dried foods would be placed in large pots, and the pottery buried to protect the food against scavenging animals (Larson, 1996). Food intended for daily use was stored in large pits, often sealed in baskets or pottery to protect against the climate elements and insects. This type of food storage would easily require a labor specialization in