Diary/Photo Journal
Week of September 07, 2003
New Mexico is a wealth of Native American (IE: Pueblo people) history and ruins.
It is very easy to spend many days exploring the architecture left behind by the
natives that thrived in the New Mexico/Colorado area from 800 A.D. through 1250
A.D. The Puebloan cultures created organized villages, communal "Great Houses",
refuse areas, sewer systems, ceremonial rooms, etc. So much for the thought of them being
uncivilized!
We first explored Bandelier National Monument. This archeological treasure is made up of cave homes that were hand excavated by the Pueblo people sometime in the 800's. These caves were interconnected and overlooked a stream and surrounding forest. They climbed up and into their homes by use toeholds and footholds they created in the sandstone. They also built structures up against the rock walls, two and three stories high as well as constructing "field" homes out of stone.
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Bandelier Gerson climbing down ladder from cliff homes Louise in typical cave/cliff home |
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Typical structures built onto wall. Holes were dug into wall and wooden poles were inserted as a brace for the roof of the structure - see the structure imprint still visible on the wall |
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Local inhabitant Notice the white underside and white feet - so cute |
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Typical Bandelier homes |
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Bandelier Tyuoni their main plaza |
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Various artwork |
Our next ruin was Chaco Culture National Historical Park. These ruins were similar to Bandelier as the structures were built around the same time and by
the Puebloan people that were influenced by similar architectural techniques. The
only difference was the Chaco location did not have a soft sandstone to dig
caves, but they had an abundance of shale that they could chip and cut for
masonry buildings.
The Chacoan created a culture that was unlike its neighbors. Its
monumental scale of its architecture, the complexity of its community life, the
high level of its social organization, its far-reaching commerce, its extensive
road system - all have been evidenced by the ruins and the artifacts found.
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Chaco Various walls still standing |
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Building scars left on wall - see pole insert holes for roofs Round building is the Kiva or ceremonial room |
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Enduring construction see wood poles for headers and see retaining wall for village raised 12' above desert floor |
Fortunately, Chaco was worth the horrendous 16 mile "graded" dirt road that took 1 1/2 hours to cross...yes, that is an average of 10 mph and we still felt as though we were shaking apart at the seams.
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Various Petroglyphs and Pictographs |
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Pueblo Bonito Conceptual drawing and ruins Main area is call the "Plaza" Great Houses were oriented to solar, lunar, and cardinal directions and "planned" structures. |
Ok, last ruins. As my father advisedly said to me "you will get ruined on ruins" and he was correct. We visited Mesa Verde National Park in Southwestern Colorado as the final ruin stop. These ruins are a combination of the previous two in that they are structures built within natural alcoves and caves . When you see the pictures, you should see the similarities.
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Mesa Verde Spruce Tree House Notice round rooms in ground - Kivas This site has 200 rooms |
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Other homes tucked into the stone wall |
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These rooms go back over 60' |
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Wall as it was originally left, loose stones on top 1200+ years ago |