Survival is something few people think about in modern times. This phenomenon adds both a new and unique chapter to human history. Native Americans, who lived in what is now called the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States, had a very different reality. Almost all labor and attention had to be focused on basic survival tasks such as gathering food and finding drinkable water. Throughout the vast majority of human history this lifestyle was typical. Living with only primitive technology was very difficult, time consuming, and labor intensive; so most people spent their whole lives performing tasks necessary for self-preservation.
The Anasazi tribe is a good example of both survival success and failure. …