The Mogollon Tribe

1. The Mogollon Tribe

2. The Mogollon Culture • Many Mogollon groups stayed along the New Mexico and Arizona border. • Some of the earliest Mogollon groups live in alcoves or caves. • Others lived on top of ridges and bluffs overlooking their fields. • In order to protect their community they built tall walls around them.

3. Home Life • They lived in “pit houses”, which were holes covered by dome roofs. • The holes were about 2-5 ft. deep and only10-15 ft. in diameter. • They were roughly circular in shape.

4. Pit House Roof Structure

5. Pit Houses • The roofs were made of brush and grass with a think layer of mud plaster. • Some families built cook fires in the center, and others may have kept their fires outside. But they may have brought in fire-heated stones to keep warm.

6. Family Possessions • Family possessions included plain brown or reddish ceramic bowls, pots and jars. • They made baskets from the Yucca plants, made straw mats, and feather or rabbit fur blankets. • Individually they had belts and shoes made from Yucca fibers. • They had pendants, necklaces and bracelets made from shells, bones or precious stones. • They made utensils and tools from stones.

7. Food • The Mogollon stored food. This included grain from crops and seeds from wild plants. • These storage areas were either inside or immediately outside their homes. • Families planted corn, beans, squash, and cotton near river banks and washes.

8. Family Roles • Children probably watched over the crops, making sure to chase away any birds or rodents. • Probably both men and women planted the crops • The women probably gathered clay, coiled clay “ropes” into various shapes, polished the moist surface with scrapers, added some decoration and then fired the pots into hot coals • The men probably made the weapons and trained their sons to hunt and build the houses.

9. Pots and Bowls