what are the anasashy people ? the are mentioned in carl sagan's "The cosmos"?

Question

I can't find any mention of them anywhere on the internet.

Answer 1

I suspect you mean the Anasazi. These guys were the nucleus of a fairly substantial civilization in the 4 corners and New Mexico region around 1000 AD. Their largest city around Casa Bonita (sp?) was larger than London at the time.Their civilization vanished pretty quickly. Last time I looked at the research, this disappearance was blamed on drought. The cliff dwellings in and around Mesa Verde in SW Colorado are thought to be one place where remnants of their civilization fled when times got tough.


I don't know why Carl Sagan would mention them in Cosmos except that this civilization built many 'observatories' of the same type (though a different style) as Stonehenge (sun casts light in certain places on certain days, etc.) and they also have a record of what is believed to be the 1054 supernova recorded by the Chinese and believed to be the progenitor of the Crab Nebula.

Anasazi means 'ancient ones' in Navajo (or Hopi). Anasazi ruins are revered by the native Americans that resettled the area later. I like to think the bulk of them moved south and formed the Aztec empire. This is a testable hypothesis, but I am no archaeologist.

Answer 2

You'll find lots of information on them, but you have to spell it correctly. Anasazi - lots of information on a lot of sites.

I'm curious - if you read it in Carl Sagan's book "The Cosmos", then you should have known how to spell the word.

Answer 3

I just came back from visiting some of the ruins of the "Old Ones" in Arizona.... there's remnants there of a remarkable civilization!!... and I love the thought that they might have moved South!!....
if you get into the subject, do try to visit their homes in the cliffs of Canyon de Chelly.... the petroglyphs there take you back to a time of wonder.... just being there sets you afire to know more.....