Salmon Ruins

Ruins of ancient Pueblos are far from unusual in New Mexico so there is a risk of suffering from suffering from archaeological overload. What makes the Salmon Ruins in north west New Mexico worth a visit is events in the 19th century. For most Anasazi ruins in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado discovery meant that they became an immediate target for amateur archaeologists and treasure seekers. These people did great damage, and even outstanding sites like Mesa Verde suffered a great deal. The Salmon Ruins are named after George Salmon who with his family homesteaded close to the ruins. The Salmons, and subsequent owner Charles Dustin, ensured that the ruins were protected so evidence about the ancient Pueblo lifestyle that was destroyed elsewhere remained intact at the Salmon Ruins.   

Salmon Homestead

George Salmon and his family established their homestead in the late 19th century approximately 3 kilometres (2 miles) west of modern day Bloomfield. The original Salmon homestead still stands in a 9 hectare (22 acre) site which has been owned by San Juan County since 1969. The Salmon Ruins is now a historic site, museum and research library.

Bunk House

Apart from the Homestead, other remains of the ranching days of the Salmon’s have been preserved. The primitive bunk house gives a good idea of just how hard life was for the cow hands back in the 19th century.

Ceremonial Room (Room 100)

The ruins originally had around 150 rooms at ground-level arranged around three sides of a plaza. It is thought that there were up to 100 second-floor rooms above them. The site was constructed in the late 11th century in a style very similar to the buildings in Chaco Canyon. It is thought that the occupants  were either former inhabitants of Chaco Canyon or had very close ties with the people there. Since excavations started in the 1970s over 1.5 million artefacts and samples have been recovered from the ruins.

Tower Kiva

There are two major Kivas at the Salmon Ruins, the larger one being the Great Kiva situated in the Plaza. The Tower Kiva was built in the middle of the main accommodation block.

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Salmon Homestead, Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield, NM, USA
Bunk House, Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield, NM, USA
Room 100 Ceremonial Room, Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield, NM, USA
Tower Kiva, Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield, NM, USA

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Heritage Park

In addition to the ruins and museum, there is a heritage park on the site which has re-constructions of historical types of building. In this picture on the left can be seen a white teepee and near the bottom right is a hogan.

Heritage Park, Salmon Ruins, Bloomfield, NM, USA
- Not as spectacular as the Anasazi ruins in Cahco Canyon and Mesa Verde, but  they are pretty good and much more accessible.
- We have nothing to whinge about.
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