Story and photograph by Kathryn Retzler
Aztec,
New
Mexico.
It wasn't
built by the Aztecs and
it's' not properly called a "ruin." It is, however, a national
momument. The name came from early white settlers to the area who
mistakenly thought those that had come before them were part of the
Aztec Empire to the south. The site was actually the home of a
conglomeration of native peoples whose construction of it spanned more
than two centuries, ending around 1300 AD. Collectively they are known
as the "Anasazi" (loosley translated as "old people" in the Navajo
language). Their descendents prefer sites such as this "ancestral
pueblos" rather than the more derogatory "ruins," but the original name
still stands and has done since the site was designated Aztec Ruins
National Monument by President Warren Harding in 1923. This is still an
active archeological site undergoing ongoing excavation and
reconstruction.
The monument is the largest ancestral Pueblo community in the Animas River valley. At one time as many as 1300 people may have lived there. Some were likely related to the Aztec peopes. Because the construction shows strong influence of Chaco Canyon, a nearby major ancestral site, Aztec (or however it was called by it's own inhabitents) is presumed to have been part of a vast trading empire which included Chaco and spread far to the south (into Old Mexico) and west as far as the Pacific Ocean. When the site was excavated for the first time in the 1900s, a number of artifacts were discovered, leading archeologists to belive the site was a food distribution center. Quite a lot of the artifacts remain, including food, clothing, jewelry, tools, and other items giving a picture of how life was during the period the site was occupied before it's decline when people began leaving the area around 1300 AD
Visitors to Aztec Ruins National Momument can view over 400 interconnected rooms in the "West Ruin" on a self-guided tour. Of special interest is the (reconstructed) Great Kiva, the largest of its kind in North America. <>Interactive audio tapes add to the ambience and mystery of the kiva and rooms. The park also offers special programs for children, including a Junior Ranger Program, as well as lectures and exhibits.
For hours of operation and more information about the park, please visit www.nps.gov/azru.
The monument is the largest ancestral Pueblo community in the Animas River valley. At one time as many as 1300 people may have lived there. Some were likely related to the Aztec peopes. Because the construction shows strong influence of Chaco Canyon, a nearby major ancestral site, Aztec (or however it was called by it's own inhabitents) is presumed to have been part of a vast trading empire which included Chaco and spread far to the south (into Old Mexico) and west as far as the Pacific Ocean. When the site was excavated for the first time in the 1900s, a number of artifacts were discovered, leading archeologists to belive the site was a food distribution center. Quite a lot of the artifacts remain, including food, clothing, jewelry, tools, and other items giving a picture of how life was during the period the site was occupied before it's decline when people began leaving the area around 1300 AD
Visitors to Aztec Ruins National Momument can view over 400 interconnected rooms in the "West Ruin" on a self-guided tour. Of special interest is the (reconstructed) Great Kiva, the largest of its kind in North America. <>Interactive audio tapes add to the ambience and mystery of the kiva and rooms. The park also offers special programs for children, including a Junior Ranger Program, as well as lectures and exhibits.
For hours of operation and more information about the park, please visit www.nps.gov/azru.