Chaco Canyon New Mexico

I wanted to share some pre history of America with the Litnetters, my son and I enjoyed last month during “spring break” vacation. I will attempt to put this in blog form once I figure out how to establish one. Spring break, by the way, is the other “March Madness” here in the States. Nuclear families housed in their Yukons, Escalades and Hummers, join the legions of other migratory Americans heading off to the habitual Spring Break haunts such as Margaritaville on the beach, the groomed slopes of Colorado or the ultimate rug rat destiny; Disney World. This year my son and I decided to take a road much less (emphasis on much less) travelled in a humble Ford Ranger.

Our adventure took us back in time to a history that many are not aware of and fewer still can fully appreciate. Our primary objective was a three day visit to Chaco Canyon National Historical Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in a very remote region of northwest New Mexico. I had been to Chaco Canyon myself, many years ago. That first visit left an indelible fondness for the mystery and imagery of sublime beauty in a landscape that many would simply see as a desolate wasteland. A desire to return has been lying dormant in my subconscious for these many years and perhaps it was dormant longing that caused me to strategically place two books on the subject within eye shot of my son. He became very interested and eventually took the bait. Within a couple of weeks we completed our sixteen hour journey back in time.

Chaco Canyon NHP contains one of the most significant archaeological sites in North America concerning pre Columbian indigenous cultures commonly referred to as the “Anasazi”. In fact Chaco Canyon is but one of literally hundreds of recorded “Anasazi” sites throughout the “four corners” states (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado). However, Chaco Canyon stands out among most other sites due to size in population, high concentration of structures “Great Houses” and the fact that it served as the cultural center for many more communities much farther away.

The canyon contains several communities dwelling within single structures also known as “Great Houses”, that are essentially conglomerations of living and storage rooms, along with round kivas which likely served religious or ceremonial functions.
The structures are known today by names either in Spanish or dialects of today’s native American cultures inhabiting New Mexico, such as the Navajo, Zuni, and the Pueblo cultures to the east.
Pueblo Bonito is the largest and most popular among the Great Houses.
Tree ring dating places the general period of habitation in Chaco Canyon from the year 800 to 1200.
Other notable Great Houses at Chaco Canyon include: Pueblo del Arroyo, Chetro Ketl, Casa Rinconada, Hungo Pavi, Una Vida, Kin Kletso, Wijiji, Casa Chiquita and Penasco Blanco.

Here are two links to the National Park website for those interested in more information:
http://www.nps.gov/chcu/historyculture/index.htm

Road system
http://www.nps.gov/chcu/historycultu...coan-roads.htm

Google earth view of Pueblo Bonito:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...ebloBonito.jpg

Expanded view of the canyon:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...hacoCanyon.jpg


Here is a brief snapshot tour through Gilliatt’s optical perspective:

Pueblo Bonito as seen from across the valley. Photo taken from the Great Kiva at Casa Rinconada:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...ebloBonito.jpg

Portion of Pueblo Bonito:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1451.jpg

Detail shot at Pueblo Bonito showing variations in stone coursing:


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1449.jpg

Series of openings or doorways. A popular shot with photographers who visit Pueblo Bonito.
Color photo:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1452.jpg

Threatening slab of rock:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...01081616PM.jpg

Portion of the Great Kiva at Casa Rinconada:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1443.jpg

“Waves in the Sand” now frozen in time as sandstone. This is a Fragment of the large rock mass that collapsed on a portion of Pueblo Bonito:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...ckwRipples.jpg

Portion of Pueblo del Arroyo:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...acoPintado.jpg


“My words are tied in one
With the great mountains,
With the great rocks,
With the great trees,
In one with my body
And my heart.

Do you all help me
With supernatural power,
And you, Day!
And you, Night!
All of you see me,
One with this world! “

- From a Tewa prayer. The Tewa are current day native culture that lives along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

Gallo Campground served as our home away from home for three days. You will find no lodging at the park and the nearest decent lodging is very far away. Note the small cliff ruin in the background. The absolute silence and clarity of the environment is staggering. At night you find yourself utterly humbled by the brilliance of countless stars. The Milky Way is easily tracked from one horizon to the other:

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1439.jpg

Hash brown potatoes on a vintage Coleman two burner “white gas” stove.

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/IMG_1438.jpg


Suggested reading (from my library):

“The Chaco Handbook – An Encyclopedic Guide” by R. Gwinn Vivian and Bruce Hilpert
“People of Chaco – A Canyon and its Culture” by Kendrick Frazier
“Anasazi – Ancient People of the Rock” by David Muench, Donald G. Pike and Adam Clark Vroman
“Anasazi Ruins of the Southwest in Color” by William Ferguson and Arthur H. Rohm
“Zuni – Selected Writings of Frank Hamilton Cushing”

Wow. These are very impressive.

Although I've never been to Pueblo Bonito, I did visit Mesa Verde a couple years ago, and going down into one of the kivas. There's definitely a sort of majesty that hangs in the atmosphere around ruins like this, and I think you've captured that in these pictures.
Thanks so much for sharing these-- I hope to visit these ruins sometime :D

(btw, I've never been camping without my coleman gas stove, and i can't imagine trying to survive vacation without it xD haha ;) )

Well Sionn,

I didn't expect this to be dragged up from the depths, but I thank you.
You just brought back some fond memories.
I too had visited Mesa Verde several years ago and it is just as mysterious and captivating as Chaco Canyon.
In fact, I had considered going there in lieu of Chaco Canyon, but much of the park was closed for the winter season.
You would also find Bandelier National Monument a worthy trek as well.

Gilliatt

haha, I guess bringing up old posts is what I do xD
glad I could bring back memories :D
I'll have to visit Bandelier National Monument sometime-- it looks very cool...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ba...y_dwelling.jpg

Wonderful Wiki photo.
The holes you see in the cliff face were used to insert large logs which extended outward forming the the primary roof and / or floor fraimng for stone dwellings that backed up against the cliffs. You can see some of the remains of the stone walls at ground level. The cliff is actually a soft volcanic tuff which was easier to carve openings such as the ones you see in the photo.

.

Very cool ^-^

Great pictures. Those walls look as if they were built yesterday.

The mystery to me, is why did they live there and what did they live on? It looks such a barren place.

Oh dear, another place I want to visit.... But thank you, GG, for your atmospheric description.