The Anasazi are a cultural group of people who are ancestors of the modern Pueblo community. This civilization is best known for the sandstone and adobe quarters they built along cliff walls in their settled areas. Though Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is a very beautiful area, some think it was an odd place for the Anasazi people to flourish as it’s a desert, which has extremely cold winters, little rain and short farming seasons.
The Anasazi of Chaco Canyon were hearty and infallible
people so progressive that the evidence of their ruins
is compared to those of the famed Aztecs from Mexico.
Working without any formal mathematics and without metal
tools the people were considered to be skilled masons
building their houses and mutual buildings adeptly and
securely. The initial buildings in Chaco Canyon were erected
with elementary walls only one stone wide and then caked
with generous amount of mortar hand-made from mud.
Chaco Canyon tours are one of the most popular
attractions in the area and are available for small
and large groups of people. Maps can be acquired so Chaco
Canyon tours can be self guided as well but a guide can
offer more comprehensive information if you're really
interested in the history. Chaco canyon tours will take
you through the area to explore some of the more significant
ruins and ancient buildings still intact. The best way
to see explore the ruins is on a conducted walk with a
ranger. Tours seem to be limited to this option. There
are many rangers at Chaco Canyon that offer tours throughout
the day. Inquire at the visitor center for more information
about the daily tours and the evening campfire programs.
Pueblo Alto is situated at the top of the mesa and suggested
that the Anasazi spent periods feasting there while occupying
the immediate area. Evidence suggests that only 5 of the
85 houses that were built at Pueblo Alto were actually
homes while the rest were used in different communal activities.
Pueblo Bonita is the largest and best known ruin in Chaco
Canyon New Mexico. It's possible
that this ruin contained more than 800 rooms and and reached
5 stories in height. Behind the ruin there's an arrangement
of petroglyphs showing 6 toed feet made around the 900's.
Chaco Canyon New Mexico is home to many interconnected ruins, which can be explored in great detail. Amid ancient times, Chaco Canyon New Mexico was an area thriving in trade. The Anasazi exchanged goods amongst themselves and also exported and imported with different people as far as the south of Mexico. Raw turquoise was a popular import and the Anasazi created fine jewellery for their people from it. Actually, lots of jewellery has been found on site, much more so then any other southwestern habitat. Other items commonly traded in Chaco Canyon history were seashells often made into handcrafted necklaces and bracelets. Interestingly remains of macaws and parrots were also found in abundance at the site.
Chaco Canyon history is a long and complicated one and many archaeologists still study the ruins and Anasazi community activities today. Chaco Canyon history tells us that the Anasazi culture started disintegrating due to lack of rainfall and over-worked land, which led to a major scarcity of food. Though clever irrigation methods were conceived, they did not stand up to the severe drought that occupied the area around the mid to late 1100's. The people started leaving the area in search of new regions to live where their people could begin anew. The Pueblos of New Mexico are the direct and affable descendants of this skillful and driven culture.
