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Published: September 13th 2010
The "Aztec Ruins"
Wrongly named, but names stick and words matter... This very large site is actually another puebloan community, like those at Mesa Verde.September 10: We stayed at Mesa Verde 2 days because we were so fascinated with it and wanted to see lots of sites. Then we headed for Durango, a picturesque historic city in SW Colorado, where we finally had our celebration anniversary dinner. It was lovely going down! But oh dear, we were both sick all night. Thems the breaks. We didn't take it as symbolic in any way!
Looking afresh at the map, we saw that not far south of Durango, in NW New Mexico (near the town of Bloomfield, by the way, Leah) was another National Park site called “Aztec Ruins”. We were pretty puzzled by this, but having now had our archeology interests whetted, we headed for it.
It turns out that when early settlers found some brick walls in ther fields, they misnamed the place Aztec Ruins, because they had only heard of the Aztecs. This is another fabulous site of Puebloan occupation, which occurred at pretty much the same time as Mesa Verde. Apparently, there was a thriving population living in many pueblo areas throughout the large southwest region, and there was considerable trade and flow amongst them. Mesa Verde pottery has been found
Giant re-constructed Kiva
This giant Kiva on the right was made largely from original materials and based on the design of the one which was here. in other sites hundreds of miles away.
It is now believed, Norma, that the people didn't “disappear”, they moved on, and their descendents are now the Hopi and other local groups.
As for Mesa Verde, studies of the middens show that in early times the people's diet included large game, (as it had when they were hunter-gatherers, before they settled and farmed corn, squash and beans) but these larger bones don't show up as time goes by, and the people ate smaller animals, finally very small animals. In the end, changes in the architecture indicate that the big wood at the mesa tops was gone, DNA analysis of structural posts indicate that they were being carried in from many miles away, and over 60% of the people's diet consisted of corn. Then in the late 1200s, there was a drought which last for 23 years (? don't quote me on this—but basically what we now call a generation)—this can be told exactly by comparison of tree rings in various posts within the dwellings and other trees) and after that the cliff dwellings were vacated forever. There's no evidence that anyone ever moved back there, and they seem to
A whole village and more
This community had a huge open plaza between the other buildings and the massive Kiva. Another site is nearby, as yet uncovered--I may be wrong, but I think it's the mound in the background. have remained unknown to outsiders for about 600 years. Our ranger said he'd asked the people from 3 different tribes why the cliff dwellers had left and they all said it was time to go.
Agata, I kept thinking how much you would like Mesa Verde! And now, knowing about the other puebloan sites, including Chaco Culture National Historical Park (NW New Mexico) and Canyon de Chelly National Monument (NE Arizona)--I think you should buy a ticket this year and head right over! We haven't been to these ourselves, but it's clear that the southwest is extremely rich in archeology.
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John Blake
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Hey Martha and Phillip, I am enjoying your adventures. Bec and I have booked into the hotel you stayed at in the theatre district in San Fran . Mithilia ? I have given Sky my number so we can catch up when he is over here in Australia.