Ancestral Puebloan
noun
variants
or less commonly ancestral Puebloan
plural Ancestral Puebloans also ancestral Puebloans
see usage paragraph below
: a member of a group of prehistoric Indigenous peoples of the canyons of northern Arizona and New Mexico and southwestern Colorado : a member of the Ancestral Pueblo peoples
called also Anasazi
Usage of Anasazi, Ancestral Pueblo, and Ancestral Puebloan
The English word Anasazi comes from a Navajo word meaning "enemy ancestors." Due to this association, Anasazi is now often considered an inappropriate or disrespectful name for a member of these prehistoric peoples or (when used in the plural) for the peoples referred to as a group. The terms Ancestral Pueblo and Ancestral Puebloan are often used as alternative names for the peoples and for an individual member of these peoples, respectively.
Examples of Ancestral Puebloan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Off the boat, there are likable Ancestral Puebloan sites with 11,000-year-old petroglyphs and granaries–including the rock art site at Lathrop Canyon in the Needles district, which sits across from Island in the Sky—and pearly sand beaches below 1,500-foot-high cliffs.
—
Morgan Tilton, The Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2024
Archaeologists call them the Ancestral Puebloan people.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
The 10 Best National Parks in Canada The Most Epic Road Trip in North America
Its architecture is reminiscent of the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings found at nearby Mesa Verde National Park, located 30 miles east.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2024
There isn’t exactly one piece of ceramic ware that stands out among the many archaeologists have found dating to the Ancestral Puebloan people.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Next up on the Reddit list, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, a park that’s best known for its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which visitors can walk inside.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2024
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Morgan Tilton, The Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2024
Archaeologists call them the Ancestral Puebloan people.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
The 10 Best National Parks in Canada The Most Epic Road Trip in North America
Its architecture is reminiscent of the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings found at nearby Mesa Verde National Park, located 30 miles east.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2024
There isn’t exactly one piece of ceramic ware that stands out among the many archaeologists have found dating to the Ancestral Puebloan people.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Next up on the Reddit list, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, a park that’s best known for its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which visitors can walk inside.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near Ancestral Puebloan
Cite this Entry
“Ancestral Puebloan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ancestral%20Puebloan. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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