Prehistory History of Utah

fremont petroglyph, dinosaur national monument

the fremont culture, named sites near fremont river in utah, lived in north , western utah , parts of nevada, idaho , colorado approximately 600 1300 ad. these people lived in areas close water sources had been occupied desert archaic people, , may have had relationship them. however, use of new technologies define them distinct people. fremont technologies include:

use of bow , arrow while hunting,
building pithouse shelters,
growing maize , beans , squash,
building above ground granaries of adobe or stone,
creating , decorating low-fired pottery ware,
producing art, including jewelry , rock art such petroglyphs , pictographs.


hovenweep castle, san juan river basin

the ancient puebloan culture, known anasazi, occupied territory adjacent fremont. ancestral puebloan culture centered on present-day 4 corners area of southwest united states, including san juan river region of utah. archaeologists debate when distinct culture emerged, cultural development seems date common era, 500 years before fremont appeared. accepted cultural peak of these people around 1200 ce. ancient puebloan culture known constructed pithouses , more elaborate adobe , masonry dwellings. excellent craftsmen, producing turquoise jewelry , fine pottery. puebloan culture based on agriculture, , people created , cultivated fields of maize, beans, , squash , domesticated turkeys. designed , produced elaborate field terracing , irrigation systems. built structures, known kivas, apparently designed solely cultural , religious rituals.

these 2 later cultures contemporaneous, , appear have established trading relationships. shared enough cultural traits archaeologists believe cultures may have common roots in american southwest. however, each remained culturally distinct throughout of history. these 2 established cultures appear have been severely impacted climatic change , perhaps incursion of new people in 1200 ce. on next 2 centuries, fremont , ancient pueblo people may have moved american southwest, finding new homes , farmlands in river drainages of arizona, new mexico , northern mexico.

navajo homeland in monument valley

in 1200, shoshonean speaking peoples entered utah territory west. may have originated in southern california , shifted desert environment due population pressure along coast. upland people hunting , gathering lifestyle utilizing roots , seeds, including pinyon nut. skillful fishermen, created pottery , raised crops. when first arrived in utah, lived small family groups little tribal organization. 4 main shoshonean peoples inhabited utah country. shoshone in north , northeast, gosiutes in northwest, utes in central , eastern parts of region , southern paiutes in southwest. initially, there seems have been little conflict between these groups.

in 16th century, san juan river basin in utah s southeast saw new people, díne or navajo, part of greater group of plains athabaskan speakers moved southwest great plains. in addition navajo, language group contained people later known apaches, including lipan, jicarilla, , mescalero apaches.

athabaskans hunting people followed bison, , identified in 16th-century spanish accounts dog nomads . athabaskans expanded range throughout 17th century, occupying areas pueblo peoples had abandoned during prior centuries. spanish first mention apachu de nabajo (navaho) in 1620s, referring people in chama valley region east of san juan river, , north west of santa fe. 1640s, term navaho applied these same people. although navajo newcomers established peaceful trading , cultural exchange modern pueblo peoples south, experienced intermittent warfare shoshonean peoples, particularly utes in eastern utah , western colorado.

at time of european expansion, beginning spanish explorers traveling mexico, 5 distinct native peoples occupied territory within utah area: northern shoshone, goshute, ute, paiute , navajo.