The Chaco Canyon was the center of a thriving culture a thousand years ago.
This yurt -- complete with skylight -- is the temporary Visitor Center (a large new one is being built not very far away).
Since we were in time for a National Park Ranger-led tour, we spent most of our time at Pueblo Bonito. These are the ruins of just one of several "great houses."
According to the Ranger, Bonito Pueblo was inhabited and built over a period of time from A.D. 850 to about 1150. It was abandoned by the time the Spanish explorers came through looking for the legendary "Cities of Gold."
This is a doorway that looks like it is blocked off, but it is actually a secret entrance to one of the "round rooms." You drop down and crawl through the very back bottom...
This is the ruins of one of the round rooms. There is speculation that these may have been clan living quarters -- or were they ceremonial places?
Many of the round rooms were built inside square rooms...
This is a large plaza area in the oldest part of the ruins -- you can see many of the round rooms which were actually roofed over and mostly underground. Modern-day Native Americans still come here to perform ceremonial dances on the Summer Solstice.
This is one of two "great kivas." The structures in the floor are believed to be seating pits and fire boxes.
This is not a window. It is actually a doorway on the second level of the building.
Since we were in time for a National Park Ranger-led tour, we spent most of our time at Pueblo Bonito. These are the ruins of just one of several "great houses."According to the Ranger, Bonito Pueblo was inhabited and built over a period of time from A.D. 850 to about 1150. It was abandoned by the time the Spanish explorers came through looking for the legendary "Cities of Gold."This is a doorway that looks like it is blocked off, but it is actually a secret entrance to one of the "round rooms." You drop down and crawl through the very back bottom...This is the ruins of one of the round rooms. There is speculation that these may have been clan living quarters -- or were they ceremonial places?Many of the round rooms were built inside square rooms...This is a large plaza area in the oldest part of the ruins -- you can see many of the round rooms which were actually roofed over and mostly underground. Modern-day Native Americans still come here to perform ceremonial dances on the Summer Solstice.This is one of two "great kivas." The structures in the floor are believed to be seating pits and fire boxes.This is not a window. It is actually a doorway on the second level of the building.
These round holes in the masonry were filled by huge timbers (vigas) which supported the floor of the second level --
This is a portion of the intact exterior wall. The sandstone "bricks" were obtained from the nearby canyon walls, then covered with plaster.
The workmanship is incredibly well done by skilled masons. Walls and corners are straight and even.
Core and veneer walls are a distinguishing feature of Chacoan great-house construction. The core consists of roughly shaped pieces of sandstone laid in a mud mortar. The core is then faced on both sides with carefully selected and shaped stones to create the veneer.
In 1987, the park was designated as a World Heritage site. The Chacoan culture extended over an area that extended into parts of what are now Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona with trading roots that extended into Mexico.
We visited Machu Piccho in Peru several years ago. I think these ruins are every bit as impressive as those. I wonder why they aren't well known?
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