the first human presence in the region dates to 8,000 years ago when family groups camped where they could hunt or collect plants and seeds. about 2,000 years ago, some groups began growing corn and other crops, leading to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. later groups in this period built permanent villages called pueblos. archaeologists call this the archaic period and it lasted until . baskets, cordage nets, and yucca fiber sandals have been found and dated to this period. the archaic toolkits included flaked stone knives, drills, and stemmed dart points. the dart points were attached to wooden shafts and propelled by throwing devices called atlatls.