Those of the second migration when arriving at the land bridge, encountered several settlements lining the shores of the land bridge and along the eastern coast line, so these itinerant arrivals to the area choose to travel further to the east in search of their own new homeland.
As hunter-gatherers they carried hunting tools such as darts, fending sticks and the atlatl. These travelers would have camped in caves whenever available.
Over time, these wayfarers began to utilize water habitats near rivers, swamps and marshes where they found abundant fish and game.
Early Basketmaker Period (2000 BCE to 1000 BCE)
This time period on the Colorado plateau is referred to as the Early Basketmaker Era due to the abundant fragments found.
Too, this period marked the beginning of the transition from the hunter-gatherer culture to a more settled lifestyle, one characterized by the start of agriculture, social stratification, population clusters and architectural construction.
Also, during this period, many from the hunter-gatherer population would only migrate twice a year, moving south for the winter and north for the summer, to a separate geographical regions in which to live where the extreme seasonal temperatures were less severe and making for a more comfortable life. This period was slowly transitioned into the more settled life of the next era.
Basketmaker Period (1000 BCE to 200 CE)
It is during this time when most of those from the wayfarer culture had completely transitioned from hunter-gatherers to a more settled lifestyle, when the dependence of being settled increased while the increasing population differentiated into hierarchically superposed classes. Architecture improvements continued during this time.
Other contemporary cultures may include the Cochise, Chihuahua, Oshara, and San Dieguito Complex.
The Cultures Period (200 CE to 750 CE)
Settlements begin to develop their own cultures, pottery making skills are greatly improved as are their architectural enhancements. A nestwork of trading between settlement begins as goods are beginning to exchanged from different regions.
From these cultures, several major post-wayfarer cultures are to develop in the desert regions located in the southwest areas of this continent.
The year 750 CE is generally regarded as the end of the Basketmaker Era and the beginning of the post-wayfarer period. (zoom in on map to see detail)
Pre-Contact Period (750 CE - 1550 CE)
Major post-wayfarer cultures include the Anasazi (recently renamed the Ancestral Puebloan), Hohokam, and Mogollon, who spread out in the present day Colorado plateau region and southward to the Rio Bravo, Rio Concho and Rio Yaqui basins. These cultures dominate this region before European contact.
There are other post-wayfarer cultures that are contemporary to the three major cultures. Those that exist during this period, their identity and the number of different cultures vary greatly among anthropologist but usually include the following: Fremont; La Junta; Patayan; Salado; Salinas; Sinagua and possibly more. Some studies connect these minor cultures to one or more of the major cultures, still, these people often lived apart culturally, socially and in location.
The remnant of the post-wayfarer cultures that survived the era of droughts during the late 1200′s and early 1300′s were few in number and area coverage. Most abandoned their canyon homelands and moved to lower altitudes near larger rivers while a few remained in the higher altitude stone dwellings.
Post-Contact Period (1550 CE to Date)
Probably the most well know pueblo and definitely the oldest dwelling of these people are those in Acoma Pueblo, also known as Acoma Sky City, built circa 1100 CE and has been continuously inhabited for over 800 years. Acoma tribal traditions estimate that they have lived in the village for more than two thousand years. Acoma means in the language of these people, The place that always was.
| 
