The Salado Culture, a mix of Hohokam, Mogollon and Anasazi peoples, inhabited the area known as the Tonto Basin for three hundred years from A.D. 1150 to 1450. Yet they didn't build cliff dwellings until A.D. 1300. For the first one hundred and fifty years the Salado lived in small villages or pueblos close to their fields on the valley floor. Archeologists aren't sure why the Salado built cliff dwellings or why only some of the Tonto Basin inhabitants moved to higher elevations. But they have used the scientific method to ask questions and develop hypotheses. Did the Salado build cliff dwellings for protection? The caves provided shelter from inclement weather and shade from the hot summer sun. In addition, the cliff dwellings were difficult to reach and may have served as a defense from neighboring cultures. Had the valley become too crowded to accommodate the entire population? There are thousands of reported Salado ruins within the Tonto Basin. Archaeologists think that overpopulation forced the Salado to redesign their community. The farmers remained in the pueblos close to the fields while the craftsman moved to the cliff dwellings high above. This ensured the Salado had enough land to cultivate.