Who were the Anazazi in the book, A Thief of Time: A Novel?

The Anasazi were an ancient culture that inhabited the American Southwest. Many anthropologists believe the Anasazi thrived in the Four Corners region from around 1200 B.C. until 1300 A.D. The Anasazi left behind thousands of dwelling sites, including impressive cliff dwellings, but no one today knows why the Anasazi abandoned these sites.