5.3 North America

Ancestral Puebloans

In the Southwest, the Ancestral Puebloans built Mesa Verde, multi-story cliff dwellings of stone and adobe, and made fine pottery.

Woodlands & Plains

Eastern and Plains peoples created beadwork and quillwork, such as the bandolier bag, blending Indigenous design with trade materials after European contact.

Northwest Coast

Northwest Coast peoples carved totem poles and dramatic transformation masks (which open to reveal a second face), tied to clan identity, myth, and ceremony.

Key terms

Mesa Verde

Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings (stone/adobe)

Bandolier bag

beaded bag blending Native and trade materials

Transformation mask

Northwest Coast mask opening to a second face

Totem pole

carved pole expressing clan identity and myth

Ancestral Puebloans

Southwest builders and potters

Try an AP-style question

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings were built by…

1. the Iroquois
2. Ancestral Puebloans
3. the Inca
4. the Aztecs