Basketmaker III: Emergence of Villages, Kivas, and Transition to Ancestral Puebloan Culture

April 16, 2026General

Archaeological site

Source: Basketmaker Culture and Puebloan Origins by Ancient Americas

Site mentioned

📍 Shabik'eshchee Village🌍 Show on the globe

Around 500 CE, Basketmaker III arrived! Full villages in Four Corners with two-chamber pithouses. LA 4169 stored maize for 138 people. Stockades for defense/turkeys. Kivas evolved from pithouses. The Dillard site shows diverse peoples. Shabik'eshchee Village had 100+ pithouses. Brownwares gave way to painted gray wares. By 700-750 CE, above-ground pueblos emerged—Ancestral Puebloan culture was born! 🏠

Key facts

Basketmaker III period began at approximately 500 CE
Full sedentary villages emerged in the Four Corners area with two-chamber pithouses (antechamber and main chamber)
Villages ranged from small hamlets to larger villages with dozens of pithouses
At site LA 4169 in Northern New Mexico on the upper San Juan River, storage pits could store enough maize to feed at least 138 people for an entire year
Stockades were built around some settlements, possibly for defense or to contain turkeys and dogs
Kivas emerged as large subterranean community or ceremonial spaces, likely evolving from large pithouses
Kivas had multiple floor layers showing continual maintenance and renovation by the community
The Dillard site shows pithouses of varying styles from other areas, indicating people from all over congregated in these villages
Chaco Canyon's Shabik'eshchee Village had over 100 pithouses excavated
Brownwares fell out of style; gray wares emerged with black painted designs by the end of Basketmaker III
Basketmaker III period ends with Pueblo I period and emergence of Ancestral Puebloan culture around 700-750 CE
Residential and storage structures began being built above ground as recognizable pueblos after 700-750 CE