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Aztec Ruins National Monument 3D Photo Tour

By Geology and Ecology of National Parks

 

Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Aztec Ruins National Monument is a preserve of an Ancestral Puebloan community in the Animas River valley in northwestern New Mexico. The community shared many of the characteristics of neighboring communities centered in Chaco Canyon (about 65 miles to the south) and the Mesa Verde area (about 50 miles to the north). Many lines of evidence show that the pre-Columbian community at Aztec Ruins was a Chacoan outlier settlement (Cajete and Nichols, 2004; NPS brochures on ceramic materials and trade materials). The puebloan-style construction in the park area includes two large ruin complexes, Aztec East and Aztec West, with additional dwelling sites in the vicinity. Tree-ring dating methods (dendrochronology) were used to resolve details of the construction of the great houses at Aztec Ruins. The larger Aztec West ruin complex (partially shown here) was constructed between A.D. 1110 and 1125 (NPS, 1962). As described in a 1931 journal article, Aztec West pueblo ruin was constructed in a large E-shape and had approximately 500 rooms. In addition, in 1931 the first floor of the structure was still standing, and 24 of the rooms still had original ceilings intact, and some parts of second and third story rooms remained standing (Anonymous, 1931). Aztec East was constructed after A.D. 1115; however, tree-ring studies (dendrochronology) indicate that most construction took place in the 13th century (Benson and others, 2003).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Public access areas at Aztec Ruins National Monument include restored ruins (West Ruin shown here) near the Visitor Center/Museum. However, protected and unrestored ruins occur throughout the hillsides and on the floodplain of the Animas River, but these areas are currently closed to the public.(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Although the name is Aztec Ruins National Monument, these ruins had nothing to do with the Aztecs of central Mexico. Early Euro-American settlers imagined a link between the two. However, archeologists in the late 19th Century proved that the Ancestral Puebloan cultures were much older than the Aztec culture of Mexico. The first Euro-American visitor to record detailed information about the site was a geologist, Dr. John S. Newberry, in 1859. By 1878, anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan noted that about a quarter of the ruin's masonry had already be removed by area settlers to use as construction materials. Looting of the ruins was a serious problem until the site came under private ownership in 1889. In 1916 the ruins came under the protection of the American Museum of Natural History when systematic excavation, stabilization, and partial restoration began. The ruins were then declared a national monument in 1923. Much of the archeological investigations in the area were conducted in the 1930s, but much of the park's ruins were protected for future investigations. (Sources: Corbett, 1962; Lister and Lister, 1990).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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West Ruin and nearby ruins includes hundreds of small square rooms and kivas (round ceremonial meeting rooms). Some of the pueblos were multistory (3 stories high). Most rooms were probably used as storage, and over time, many had been filled with trash and abandoned (Corbett, 1962). Although the ruin may have had as many as 450 rooms, the community at the pueblo was probably small, but the site served an estimated population of 5,000 distributed along the Animas River Valley (Morgan, 1880).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Many of the wooden timbers used in the original construction are preserved in the ruin walls. Studies of tree ring records of the ancient timber help archeologists precisely date the construction of the pueblos.(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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The West Ruin at Aztec Ruins National Monument has a large rectangular layout with walled buildings surrounding an open plaza area that included two large kivas, including a Great Kiva (reconstructed to the right in this image).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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The Great Kiva at Aztec National Monument has been "restored" to match an original configuration. In its original state it had been first constructed in a style of the Chacoans, but later modified into the style of the Mesa Verdeans. The Great Kiva was used for community ceremonies (Cajete and Nichols, 2004).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Two layers of green sandstone were incorporated into the outer surface of the West Ruin. The attractive outer masonry style is typical of Chacoan construction (Cajete and Nichols, 2004).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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This view is looking down a passage connecting small square rooms on the first level of the West Ruin.(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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Archeological investigations have helped reconstruct what life was like during the height of the Chacoan period at Aztec Ruins. The pueblo must have been bustling with community activity (such as women grinding corn, making pottery and baskets, and other living wares, and children playing). Men probably tended crops along the river valley and hunted game including deer, antelope, rabbits, and other game. Storage rooms were stacked with harvested corn and other supplies. Trade and ceremonial and other community activities went on in the kivas and on the plaza (Corbett, 1962).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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It is unclear if the people slowly left the pueblo over time or all at once. Although there is evidence of fire damaged the eastern part the the pueblo complex, there is no evidence of warfare-style conflict at Aztec Ruins. Diseases, impacts of drought, starvation, political, religious, and other cultural changes may have all played a part in the collapse of the Ancient Puebloan communities (Cajete and Nichols, 2004; Stuart, 2000).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)
Aztec Ruins National Monument
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The Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins was reconstructed after archeological investigations (see Morris, 1920). Initial reconstruction was completed in 1934. Today, the Great Kiva is open to visitors but is also used for ceremonial activities by regional tribal communities (Cajete and Nichols, 2004).(Credit: Phil Stoffer, USGS. Public domain.)