The origins of the Ancient Pueblo People date back to sometime between 1500 BCE and 1 CE. The debate rages on within the Archaeological community, but most agree that the Ancient Pueblo People emerged around 1200 BCE during the Basketmaker II Era taken from the Pecos Classification System. Their sphere of influence was mainly the "Four Corners" region – the adjoining corners of modern day New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. The Ancient Pueblo People were one of four major cultural groups who existed in the North American Southwest prior to and during European exploration.

Originally assumed to be a sub-branch of the Ancient Pueblo People, the Fremont people are now considered, their own material culture within the region of the Ancient Southwest. They lived in the northwestern section of the Ancient Southwest as well as in the geographic region of the Great Basin. Architecturally, the Fremont developed below-ground pit houses and above ground granary structures as they made the transition from hunter and gathers to agriculturists around 750 CE. The distinctive rock art of the Fremont is what sets this material culture apart from the other Ancient Southwestern Cultures.

The word, Hohokam, comes from the language of the modern Pima which means those who have gone. The culture of the Hohokam centered around modern day Phoenix where the Gila and Salt rivers meet.

The Hohokam are known for their:

• Extensive Irrigation Canals For Agriculture
• Ballcourts
• Use of etching on seashells

The Hopi are the westernmost culture of the Modern Pueblo Peoples. The Hopi trace their lineage back to the Ancient Pueblo People who they call Hisat-Sinom They are agriculturists who live on three mesa tops in Arizona. Their village of Oriabi has been inhabited since sometime near 1100 CE.

The Mogollon [moh-guh-YOHN] flourished in present day southeastern Arizona as well as southwestern New Mexico from about 500 CE until 1200 CE. The Mogollon at first lived in small village-type settlements consisting of five to twelve pit houses. The Mogollon began to build one-story pueblos towards the end of their Southwest occupation. The Mogollon are known for their pottery. The pottery was mainly decorated with a black-on-white pattern as well as red-on-white and red-on-brown. The pottery of the Mimbres people [a culture within the Mogollon or closely related to the Mogollon] produced some of the finest pottery in all of the Americas and their work is the highlight of many Museum exhibitions.

The Patayan culture was found in western Arizona in the Colorado River and the Gila River valleys from A.D. 700-1550. Unlike the other cultures of the Ancient Southwest, the Patayan were highly mobile and did not make large advances in architectural technology maintaining only pit house and square-block structures throughout their history. The modern Yuma culture traces their lineage to these people and the word Patayan means old ones in the Yuma language. The Patayan culture appears to have been skilled in agriculture as well as hunting and gathering.

The Sinagua culture was divided into the Northern and Southern branches. The Northern Sinagua settled around modern Flagstaff, Arizona while the Southern Sinagua settled around the Verde River Valley. The Sinagua lived in pithouses beginning in 650 CE. From 650 to 900 CE, the Sinagua lived in villages that had both community rooms as well as ballcourts [appearing in 900 CE]. Farming techniques were also matered throughout this period with each village having farm plots and fieldhouses nearby.

From 1064 to 1070 or 1075 CE, the Sunset Crater Volcano erupted and spread ash and debris over an 800 square mile zone. After the eruption, the Singua increased in population and begin to interact more with the other Ancient Southwest cultures. They also increased their architectural production with the founding of sites at: Elden Pueblo, New Caves, Ridge Ruin, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki. The apex of the Sinagua culture was during the Elden Pueblo Phase 1150 - 1250 CE.

Three models have been proposed to explain the explosion of the Sinagua culture:

• Agricultural Potential Model - The ash from the eruption allowed for more fertile soil which brought more farmers into the region.
• Supernatural Power Model - The eruption caused the region to become a religious center which the Sinagua benefited from.
• Trade Model - The Sinagua's region became a powerful trading hub and the increased architecture and material wealth were a result of this Southwest commerce.