During the Pueblo I period, the population of the Mesa Verde region grew. As it grew, people began building larger settlements. Some settlements consisted of farmsteads where a few families lived side-by-side. Other settlements consisted of large villages where many families lived close together.

At the very end of the Pueblo I period, most people left the Mesa Verde region. Why? Archaeologists think the climate got too hot and dry for the Pueblo farmers to grow enough corn. To find out where the Pueblo emigrants went, see the map.