Anasazi House
Anasazi house is an odd term, so let's clarify it.
Anasazi is a Navajo word meaning ancestral enemies. In 1936 archaeologist Alfred Kidder began using it in reference to the prehistoric culture that thrived on the Colorado Plateau. The Hopi, however, object to the term. Instead, they call their ancestors Hisatsinom, which means Old Ones. Other tribes also object but each uses a different substitute word.
In response, many archaeologists dropped Anasazi from their professional vocabulary and replaced it with the much broader Ancestral Puebloans. Others still prefer Anasazi, arguing that puebloan, a Spanish term meaning inhabitant of a town, is itself a misnomer.
A few remain open to the possibility that Anasazi is historically accurate. Many old Navajo tales describe interaction with "ancient enemies." Some even describe watching these enemies abandon the Colorado Plateau. No archaeological evidence suggests the Navajo and Anasazi cultures actually overlapped, yet it's conceivable they did.
So the debate continues, and both Anasazi and Ancestral Puebloan still appear in literature.
Anasazi house is rarely used. It refers to an Ancestral Puebloan cliff-dwelling, now an archaeological site. Utah canyon country is rife with Anasazi houses. A few are easy to access. Most are remote, hidden, accessible only by foot.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/photos-utah.php to see photos of Utah canyon country, including Anasazi houses.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/hike-moab.php to read about Done in a Day Moab, The Ten Premier Hikes. That's the book you need if you're a hiker, you're visiting Moab, and you want to see Anasazi houses.
