Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe  |  Sweet Briar College

Syllabus INTRODUCTION Sacredness Caves Stones Mountains Trees Water Forms in the Landscape BIBLIOGRAPHY © 1998 (text only) Chris Witcombe

Sacred Places An exploration of how and why places become invested with SACREDNESS and how the SACRED is embodied or made manifest through ART and ARCHITECTURE Anasazi Sacred Sites Elizabeth Snider         Most people know of sacred places such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, the caves of Lascaux, and the remains of the ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures of South America. However, few realize that there are sacred places of equal importance in North America as well. Native American tribes, much like other prehistoric societies, viewed certain sites as sacred, and some have been embellished just as extensively as their more famous counterparts in Europe, North Africa, and South America.        In the Western United States, an ancient people known as the Anasazi created a civilization that stretched from New Mexico and Arizona to Utah. Anasazi is a Navajo name meaning "Ancient Ones" or "Ancient Enemy". A more recent term used to more accurately describe them is Ancestral Pueblo People. However, the term Anasazi is more widely known and accepted, and thus will be used for the purposes of this page.        During the Classic Pueblo period (c.1000-1300 A.D.), the Anasazi culture reached its peak in pottery, weaving, and architecture. They disappeared around the year 1300 A.D. - all that remains of their culture are their dwellings and the few clues remaining there. The reason for their disappearance is unknown, although many attribute their demise to drought,the invasion of another tribe, or even factions among the Anasazi themselves. However, some modern pueblo tribes, such as the Zuni and the Hopi, attribute their origins to the "ancient ones".        The sacredness of the Anasazi lies in their kivas, temples lying beneath the floors of their homes, both the better known cliff dwellings and the pueblos, not unlike those of later tribes. For a recreation of the experience of a kiva, visit the Chetro Ketl Great Kiva. The walls of the kiva were decorated with pictographs and petroglyphs, the precise meanings of which are unknown. Their presence is reminiscent of the great wall paintings at the caves of Lascaux, and some of their forms resemble the carvings on the megaliths of Newgrange. The dwellings of the Anasazi can be considered analogous to caves. Both the multi-layered homes they carved into the sides of cliffs and their pueblos were constructed of stone. While the pueblos were free standing, their stone construction suggests that stone was an important element to the Anasazi, particularly in architecture.        The best known Anasazi site is Mesa Verde, in the Four Corners area of New Mexico. The site was discovered in the 1880's, and has been a popular attraction ever since. Another extensive Anasazi site is Canyon de Chelly, in Arizona, also in the Four Corners area. This site is now sacred to the Navajo Indians, although it has been revered by many other tribes as well.        Another creation of the Anasazi that is similar to that of other sacred sites around the world is the road that leads from Kutz Canyon in New Mexico to Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, over thirty miles away. This "road" is completely straight, not varied according to the landscape. This has been interpreted by many as a spiritual line, not unlike the ley lines of Britain or the spiritual lines of feng shui.        Like most prehistoric societies, the Anasazi began as a hunter/gatherers , and gradually evolved into an agricultural society. Remains of their pottery and weaving have been discovered, as well as many petroglyphs, their written language. The full history of the Anasazi and their cliff dwellings will never be known, but slowly, archaeologists are beginning to piece together the artifacts that remain in order to gain more knowledge of the "ancient ones" and their culture. Additional Links: Anasazi people The Anasazi and their Hopi Descendants Anasazi Ruins Anasazi Ruins of the Southwest Mysterious Places-Ancient Americans About the Ancestral Pueblo People Mesa Verde Mesa Verde Information Mesa Verde Mysterious Places - Mesa Verde Canyon de Chelly Day 4 -- Sunday -- Canyon de Chelly Canyon de Chelly Canyon De Chelly - Photos by Massimo Casulini Chaco Canyon Chaco Communications, Inc. Chaco Canyon, San Juan Basin, New Mexico Chaco Canyon Chaco Canyon in top endangered monuments

Lascaux, France Giza, Egypt Stonehenge, England Newgrange, Ireland Abu Simbel, Egypt Delphi, Greece Athenian Acropolis, Greece Holy Sepulchre, Israel Dome of the Rock, Israel Chartres, France Lourdes, France Shrine at Ise, Japan Bodh Gaya, India Teotihuacán, Mexico St. Peter's Basilica, Italy Mecca, Saudi Arabia Mosque of Córdoba, Spain Kata Tjuta, Australia Sacred Symbols and Shapes

This website has been written and constructed by Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, Professor of Art History in the Department of Art History at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, 24595 USA. Its initial intended use is for a course given in January 1998 at Sweet Briar College entitled "Mysterious Places: The Art and Architecture of Sacred Sites" (ARTH 900).