Indigenous people survived here through hard work and ingenuity. Nearly 700 years ago, some built small stone structures, possibly for storage or ceremonial purposes. In Canyonlands, even older structures still stand, but archeologists have found few villages, suggesting that early inhabitants farmed intensively yet may have lived here only seasonally. In the desert climate, these masonry structures can survive for centuries without human impact, but contact can erode foundations and weaken walls.