50plusDC- Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon National Historic Site contains the ruins of numerous Anasazi sites that were occupied between the 9h century and about 1250AD. It is thought that the settlements were abandoned due to prolonged drought. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins are enhanced by their remote location and the difficult journey to see them. The route we took from the Highway 57 to approach from the south was unsurfaced (unpaved) and extremely rough, indeed our car grounded several times, but fortunately we did not get stuck. There are now a better routes from the north and south, but they are still unsurfaced.

T-shaped doorway, Pueblo Bonito

Built close to the cliff, Pueblo Bonito is the largest of the ‘Great Houses’ in Chaco Canyon and thought to have been occupied from the mid 800s AD right through to the 1200s AD. In 1941 a section of rock that had had been split from the cliff even in Anasazi times fell on the Pueblo causing considerable damage to the north east section of the ruin. The building is thought to have been four or five storeys high with 600 - 800 rooms, 40 Kivas and a population in the region of 1000. Several different shapes of door are found in the ruins, but the most distinctive are the T-shaped doors as shown here. The buildings here and in Canyon de Chelly in neighbouring Arizona were abandoned during the 13th century, so what happened to the Anasazi? They moved on but it seems that they are the forebears of modern Pueblo Indians.

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- If you think that American history is all relatively recent, think again. Some of the excellent Anasazi ruins here date back over 1,000 years.

- Beware of GPS directions to the park, which may take you along the sort of road that we had to use.

To move forwards or backwards through the New Mexico trail click the arrows above, or select your next destination on the Minimap.

Chetro Ketl ruins from Pueblo Bonito

A 400mm lens picks out the ruins below a Chaco Canyon cliff face. Ancient stairways climb the cliff to connect with roads at the top. The ‘Great House’ of Chetro Ketl was built from about 1020 AD, and at its peak was five stories high with around 500 rooms and 16 Kivas. The rear wall of the settlement, visible on the right, is over 150 metres (500 feet) long. In the central courtyard is a Great Kiva around 18 metres (60 feet) in diameter. A more recent (circa 1100 AD) Great Kiva has been built on top of it.

Casa Rinconada Kiva

Kivas are usually the size of those shown above at Pueblo del Arroya, but the one built around 1100 AD at Casa Rinconada is very different. This Great Kiva is over 20 metres (66 feet) in diameter, partly built about ground and it is not part of a settlement. The reason why it is so different is not fully understood, but it is thought that it may have been designed to represent the Anasazi cosmos rather than providing a link with the spirits of the underworld. There is speculation that some features were designed to align with the summer solstice, but this has not been proved.

Kivas, Pueblo del Arroyo

Pueblo del Arroyo was constructed in stages between 1065 and 1140 AD. At its peak the village had over 280 rooms on four floors and 23 Kivas. This picture shows some of the Kivas, circular underground rooms which originally had roofs. They were used by the Anasazi for religious ceremonies designed to bring together the spirits of the underworld with the people on the Earth’s surface. Hence the Kiva was entered via a ladder from the surface into the underground chamber that formed a bridge between the two worlds. Only men were allowed to enter Kivas. The Spanish converted the Pueblo Indians to Christianity and Church worship but in modern Pueblos both Churches and Kivas can be found can be found in active use.

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